Dancing With the Stars fans got a surprise on Dedication Night when Jenna Dewan walked out with a different partner. Val Chmerkovskiy was serving a one-week suspension after posting a comment that referenced Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap, aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba over her critique of his wife Jenna Johnson’s samba. The show handed down the suspension, and Val sat the week out.
In his place, Alan Bersten stepped in to dance with Dewan. Chmerkovskiy made a point of thanking him on Instagram, writing that Dewan“looks so good and most importantly happy,”while urging followers to vote for her. He also addressed the situation directly, admitting his comment was a poor decision and apologizing to Inaba, saying she didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of his bad judgment.
So where does this leave the competition? Sub partners are nothing new on DWTS, but a suspension storyline always shifts the spotlight. Does one week feel like the right call, or should producers have gone further? And does a step-in partner shake up the leaderboard more than fans expected? Drop your take in the comments.
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Local Lawton
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