“Dancing With the Stars” addressed professional Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension head-on during Tuesday’s emotion-filled “Dedication Night” episode.
“As you can see, Alan Bersten is with Jenna Dewan because Val is not with us this week,” co-host Alfonso Ribeiro said at the very top of the episode after each couple’s introduction.
Later in the episode, during the introduction to Dewan and Bersten’s performance, the temporary duo tiptoed into the subject.
“First and foremost, I know this is a really unusual situation, but I feel very honored to step up and help you this week,” Bersten told Dewan in the clip, and she responded by simply thanking him.
Bersten then acknowledged the importance of “Dedication Night” and said he wanted to “make sure the focus this week is all on (her)” as she paid tribute to her mother, Nancy Lee Bursch, to whom she dedicated the performance.
“I want to make sure that this dance is so special — not just for you, but for your mother,” Bersten told the “Step Up” star.
When judging their routine, judge Carrie Ann Inaba seemingly alluded to the behind-the-scenes drama between her and Chmerkovskiy, telling Dewan, “I know it’s been a long journey.”
“You keep coming here, giving us all your heart, all your soul,” she told the actress. “That dance, for me, was the ultimate breakthrough. Your heart was open. You felt free. You felt light.”
As Dewan and Bersten awaited their scores, co-host Julianne Hough alluded to the “emotional night” and “emotional week” behind them.
The duo ultimately earned a 37/40 for their Viennese Waltz to the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” for which Bursch joined them during the routine.
Chmerkovskiy was suspended from competition following a controversial social media post he shared last week referencing Will Smith’s infamous slap at the Oscars.
The dancer posted the message in an attempt to defend his wife, fellow “DWTS” pro Jenna Johnson, from Inaba’s harsh criticism of her during the Oct. 13 episode, which was themed “Super Bowl Night.”
Inaba lashed out at Johnson for including an “illegal” lift with partner Harry Shum Jr. during their samba, with the judge reading the definition from a piece of paper. The harsh words reportedly left Johnson in tears.
Chmerkovskiy didn’t seem to appreciate Inaba’s comments, as he took to Instagram to reference Smith’s incident at the 2022 Oscars, when the actor slapped comedian Chris Rock and asked him to keep his wife Jada Pinkett Smith’s name out of his mouth.
“You almost saw Fresh Prince walk into the ballroom last night,” Chmerkovskiy wrote as his TikTok status shortly after. It has since been deleted.
He also responded to a fan-made TikTok video about the incident, writing in the comments section: “Put some respect on her name. She’s tripping talking to him like that.”
The reference drew anger from the “DWTS” community, later leading to a week-long suspension for the professional.
“The well-being of everyone who works on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is non-negotiable,” read a statement from producer BBC Studios, according to Deadline.
“Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected to the show. Therefore, he will not be appearing on next week’s show.”
Chmerkovskiy responded to the suspension in a statement obtained by Page Six on Saturday.
“As you may have seen on the news, I will not be in the ballroom this week,” he wrote.
The dancer said he “made the poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think about what else that reference might imply, which was really never (his) intention.”
“Carrie Ann certainly did not deserve to be caught in the middle of my poor judgment, and I hate that she was,” her statement continued.
“The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is doing,” he concluded, before urging fans to send “love” to the “DWTS” family ahead of this week’s episode.
Chmerkovskiy also apologized to fans on social media, sharing that he reached out to Inaba “directly and personally” to do the same.
Instead of playing with Chmerkovskiy this week, Dewan danced with pro Alan Bersten.
New episodes of “DWTS” air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, and stream on Hulu the next day.
For more on Page Six’s “Dancing With the Stars” coverage, click here.
Gn entert
