Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from Dancing With the Stars for a full week due to his “Oscar Slap” comment aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba—and if you’re wondering where that leaves his celeb partner, Jenna Dewan, there’s a plan.
Variety confirms that Jenna will still participate in Dedication Night, only instead of dancing with Val, she’ll be partnered with Alan Bersten. Jenna and Alan (who was eliminated earlier this season) will dance a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to Jenna’s mom.
“Jenna Dewan is aware and has continued to be a true professional and respectful of the process,” a source tells the outlet. “Jenna is a beloved part of the Dancing with the Stars family, and we are grateful for the joy and positivity she brings to the show.”
BBC Studios released an official statement confirming Val’s suspension, saying, “The well-being of everyone who works on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is non-negotiable. 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.”
Meanwhile, Val said in part, “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 judgement, and I hate that she was.”