Jenna Dewan married to who was never the point on Tuesday. The immediate change was that Alan Bersten took Val Chmerkovskiy’s place beside Dewan on Dancing with the Stars after Chmerkovskiy was suspended.
Alfonso Ribeiro set the switch in motion with seven words at the top of the Oct. 20 episode: “As you can see, Alan Bersten is with Jenna Dewan because...” He followed it with, “...Val is not with us this week.”
Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension had already been public by Oct. 17, after a social media post directed at Carrie Ann Inaba referenced Will Smith’s Oscars slap. On Oct. 15, he said, “I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally, and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal DWTS family.”
Oct. 17 and the Studios response
Studios called the post “inappropriate” and said it “does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show.” It added, “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable.” That left the production to absorb a live partner change in the middle of Dedication Night.
Chmerkovskiy tried to narrow the fallout on Oct. 17, saying, “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.” He also wrote, “Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DTWS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
Alan Bersten and Jenna Dewan
Alan Bersten and Jenna Dewan were scheduled for a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers, with Dewan dedicating the routine to her mom, Nancy. That setup mattered because the production did not just lose a name on a list; it had to rework a live partnership without changing the show’s basic structure.
Chmerkovskiy’s apology on Oct. 15 was aimed at the person he had pulled into the controversy, but the episode made the consequence visible in real time. For now, the practical outcome is simple: Dewan danced with Bersten, and the suspended partner stayed out of the ballroom while the show carried on.
The open issue is whether Chmerkovskiy returns to Dewan’s routines after this suspension. Until that changes, the Oct. 20 switch is the working arrangement, and it is the one the show chose to put on air.
