Jenna Dewan’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pro Partner Announced Amidst Val Chmerkovskiy’s Suspension

Following Val Chmerkovskiy’s one-week suspension, the replacement pro partner for Dancing With the Stars celebrity contestant Jenna Dewan has been officially confirmed.

According to Us Weekly, dance pro Alan Bersten will partner with Dewan during Chmerkovskiy’s suspension. He was eliminated earlier in the season alongside his celebrity partner Giada de Laurentiis.

During the episode, Dewan is set to honor her mother, Nancy, with a Viennese waltz to The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.”

Chmerkovskiy was benched for a week after he seemingly threatened physical harm toward Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba for her recent critique of his wife, Jenna Johnson. The comment referenced Will Smith’s infamous 2022 Academy Awards slap.

“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” a BBC Studios spokesperson said in a statement about the situation. “Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”

Chmerkovskiy also issued a public apology for his remarks, which he has since deleted. “In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention.”

“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was,” he continued. “The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”