'DWTS' pro Val Chmerkovskiy reacts to Alan Bersten 'stepping in' to dance with Jenna Dewan amid suspension
Page Six • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Val Chmerkovskiy is serving a one-week suspension from "Dancing With the Stars" after making a controversial social media post referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap incident.
- During his suspension, Alan Bersten stepped in to dance with Chmerkovskiy’s partner, Jenna Dewan, receiving praise from Chmerkovskiy for doing an amazing job and keeping Dewan happy.
- Chmerkovskiy apologized for his inappropriate comment, acknowledging it was a poor decision and expressing regret for involving judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who had criticized Dewan’s samba lift.
- The suspension followed Chmerkovskiy’s TikTok post defending Dewan against Inaba’s critique, where he referenced the Oscars incident, leading to a statement from a BBC Studios producer calling the remark inappropriate.
- Fans were encouraged by Chmerkovskiy to support Jenna Dewan by voting for her during his absence, highlighting the focus on her performance despite the controversy.
