Dance Mogul Magazine · The Dance Beat · Breaking News
Val Chmerkovskiy Sits Out DWTS Dedication Night; Alan Bersten Replaces Him With Jenna Dewan
October 17, 2026 · Updated October 19, 11:30 AM ET · Dance Mogul Magazine
The Val Chmerkovskiy DWTS suspension forces an immediate professional-dancer change for the October 20 Dedication Night broadcast of Dancing with the Stars. BBC Studios has confirmed that Val Chmerkovskiy will not participate in next week's show after a controversial social-media remark about judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Jenna Dewan will continue in the competition, with Alan Bersten stepping in as her professional partner.
The decision moves a story that began with a dispute over samba technique and judging into a tangible production change. It also presents a new challenge for a celebrity preparing a Viennese waltz that honors her mother. The Hollywood Reporter identifies Bersten as Dewan's substitute partner, while Deadline, Variety and Us Weekly document the producer's action. The full impact on rehearsals, choreography and judging remains to be seen. See the October 17 partner-change reporting →
October 17, 6:35 PM ET — ABC News confirmation: ABC News / Good Morning America directly reports BBC Studios' statement, names Bersten as Dewan's partner for the upcoming episode, and says the producer considers Dewan informed and professional through the transition. This confirms the earlier reporting; it does not announce an additional suspension, changed dance assignment or later-week status.
October 19 update: People reports that Dewan and Bersten will keep the announced Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” in honor of her mother, Nancy, and describes the move as the first suspension of a professional dancer in the show's history. Dewan has also posted an Instagram tribute to her mother ahead of Tuesday's episode, her first post since the suspension, according to TV Insider. Inaba has still not publicly responded to the apology or the suspension.
At a Glance · Verified as of October 19
Absent pro: Val Chmerkovskiy, October 20 only as currently announced. Substitute pro: Alan Bersten. Continuing celebrity: Jenna Dewan. Upcoming dance: Viennese waltz, kept with Bersten. Song: “Unchained Melody,” the Righteous Brothers. Dedication: Dewan's mother, Nancy. Broadcast: Tuesday, October 20, 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Competition status: Ten celebrities remain; no new elimination announced.
Why Val Chmerkovskiy Will Not Dance October 20
On Saturday, October 17, BBC Studios, which produces Dancing with the Stars, issued a statement saying the professional's social-media post was inappropriate and did not meet the show's expectations. The company said he would not participate in the following week's broadcast. The decision has been reported by several major entertainment news organizations. It is a confirmed production action, not simply online speculation.
BBC Studios · October 17 Statement
“Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show.” — BBC Studios statement, October 17
The producer described workplace well-being as non-negotiable, characterized the post as inappropriate and confirmed Chmerkovskiy's absence from the next episode. This paraphrase is based on the statement reproduced by Us Weekly and Deadline. DMM has not independently obtained a separate statement posted on ABC's official press portal.
Multiple reports describe the move as a one-week suspension. The wording of the producer's statement confirms the October 20 absence, but does not itself establish what will happen in subsequent episodes. DMM is not reporting that Chmerkovskiy has been permanently dismissed, that Dewan has been disqualified or that the judging panel has changed.
Chmerkovskiy Responds: “I Won’t Be in the Ballroom This Week”
October 18 update: After BBC Studios announced the decision, Chmerkovskiy released a statement accepting the consequence rather than contesting it. He said that, in a moment when his “instinct was to defend my wife,” he made a “poor decision” in referencing the meme, and that Inaba did not deserve to be caught in the middle of his “bad judgment.” He also said he did not want to become a distraction from Dedication Night or from Dewan’s work, and asked viewers to support Inaba, Dewan and the cast. The statement was reported by Deadline and TV Insider.
What the statement confirms: Chmerkovskiy accepts that he will miss the October 20 broadcast and says he will be watching. What it does not do: it does not announce his status for later weeks, and it does not add any new production decision. As of NBC News’ latest reporting, Inaba has not publicly responded to his apology or to the suspension. DMM will not characterize her view until she speaks for herself.
The Lesson Inside the Story
Protecting someone you love is a real instinct. The professional standard is how that instinct is expressed in public. Chmerkovskiy’s second statement moves from defending a position to owning a consequence, and it puts the focus back on his partner’s performance. For any dancer or leader, that is the harder and more useful move.
Alan Bersten Steps Into Jenna Dewan's Partnership
The Hollywood Reporter identifies Alan Bersten as the professional who will dance with Dewan on Dedication Night. Bersten had been paired with Giada De Laurentiis earlier in Season 35; that partnership ended with her Week 2 elimination on September 22. His return is therefore a new partnership within the existing season, not a new celebrity casting announcement.
ABC's official October 14 Dedication Night preview originally listed Dewan and Chmerkovskiy for a Viennese waltz to the Righteous Brothers' “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to Dewan's mother Nancy. The producer's October 17 action and subsequent replacement reporting supersede the original partner listing for this performance. People reports that the dance, song and dedication stay the same with Bersten. ABC has not published a revised official run-of-show; DMM will update the record if that changes.
See DMM's updated October 20 songs, dances and dedications guide →
DMM Dance Lens: What Changes When a Pro Partner Changes?
The most significant dance question is not simply whether Bersten can learn a sequence quickly. Professional partners shape a celebrity's technical progress through how they lead, frame movement, manage momentum and communicate corrections. Even when a dancer knows the same steps, a new partner can change the physical sensation of the routine. Dewan must adjust to Bersten's timing, body mechanics and approach to partnership while maintaining her own expressive connection to the dedication.
Viennese waltz places particular emphasis on sustained rotation, balanced travel, continuity of movement and an organized frame. The couple's weight transfer, turning pathway and rise-and-fall qualities have to read as one partnership rather than two separate performers. The degree of closed hold and the musical arrangement used for “Unchained Melody” are matters for the actual televised choreography; DMM will not assume an arrangement or describe unseen steps.
The emotional brief adds a second layer. A tribute to Dewan's mother asks the dancers to convey affection and memory without allowing storytelling gestures to overwhelm the dance's essential movement. A replacement pro must support that expressive intention while helping the celebrity sustain musicality and technique under live-broadcast pressure. Whether the choreography is retained, revised or rebuilt has not been independently confirmed. Nor has a separate choreographer credit or rehearsal schedule.
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy earned 36/40 for their October 13 paso doble, tying for the highest judges' score of Super Bowl Night with Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach. That is a historical result and remains unchanged. The October 20 performance and scores are still in the future. It would be premature to conclude that the switch improves or damages Dewan's competitive standing.
How the Controversy Reached a Production Decision
October 13: Carrie Ann Inaba questioned the amount of samba content and a lift in the performance by Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. Their judges' score was 33/40. The debate about the exact movement and application of the lift rule continued afterward.
October 14–15: Chmerkovskiy, Johnson's husband and Dewan's professional partner, objected publicly to the judge's remarks. A later-deleted reference to the “Fresh Prince” was widely interpreted as alluding to Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. This was an inappropriate public reference, but reporting about its interpretation does not establish a specific intent to commit violence. Inaba reshared a screenshot of the remark on Instagram and asked, “So this is what we are doing now?” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
October 15: Chmerkovskiy apologized publicly to Inaba and said he had reached out privately. DMM's October 15 report preserves that stage of the story, before any production action had been announced.
October 17: BBC Studios confirmed that Chmerkovskiy would not take part in the next show. The Hollywood Reporter reported that Bersten would perform with Dewan. The new decision concerns professional conduct and staffing, not the adjudication of the October 13 samba.
October 17–18: Chmerkovskiy issued a statement taking responsibility, calling his reference a poor decision and asking fans to support Inaba, Dewan and the cast during Dedication Night. No further production change has been announced.
October 19: Dewan shared an Instagram tribute to her mother ahead of Dedication Night, her first post since the suspension. People reports the waltz to “Unchained Melody” goes ahead with Bersten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Val Chmerkovskiy leaving Dancing with the Stars?
BBC Studios confirmed that he will not participate in the October 20 episode. The available statement does not establish a permanent departure or confirm his status for later weeks.
Has Val Chmerkovskiy responded to the suspension?
Yes. He issued a statement acknowledging he will not be in the ballroom this week, calling his reference a poor decision and saying Inaba did not deserve to be caught in the middle. Inaba has not publicly responded.
Has a DWTS pro ever been suspended before?
People and Hello! describe this as the first suspension of a professional dancer in the show's history.
Who will dance with Jenna Dewan on October 20?
Alan Bersten is the reported substitute professional partner for Dedication Night, according to The Hollywood Reporter, People and ABC News.
What song and style is Jenna Dewan performing?
A Viennese waltz to the Righteous Brothers' “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to her mother Nancy. People reports the dance stays the same with Bersten.
Was Jenna Dewan eliminated?
No. This is a professional-partner change, not a competition elimination. Ten celebrities remain for the October 20 episode.
Did the lift rule or October 13 scores change?
No official rule revision or score change was identified in the verified October 17 reporting. Johnson and Shum's October 13 score remains 33/40.
Reporting Sources and Media Verification
October 19 update: People, October 17 (dance and song kept with Bersten; first pro suspension); Hello! (first pro suspension); TV Insider, October 19 (Dewan's tribute post); The Hollywood Reporter (Inaba's Instagram reaction).
October 18 update: Deadline and TV Insider, October 18 (Chmerkovskiy statement); NBC News (BBC Studios statement; no Inaba response); ABC News report carried October 18, 12:44 AM ET (no new sanction).
First-party ABC confirmation: ABC News / Good Morning America, October 17, 6:35 PM ET. Producer statement: Us Weekly, October 17, quoting BBC Studios; Deadline, October 17; Variety, October 17. Substitute partnership: The Hollywood Reporter, October 17. Original episode assignments: ABC/Disney Television Press, October 14.
Photos: ABC/Disney Television Press editorial images, credited in each caption. They show the Season 35 premiere week and Super Bowl Night; none shows the October 20 Dewan and Bersten partnership, which has not yet been photographed for release. No social-media screenshot or video embed has been added.
Editorial record: updated October 19, 2026, 11:30 AM ET, with People's report that the waltz goes ahead with Bersten, Dewan's tribute post and Inaba's earlier Instagram reaction; October 18, 2:10 PM ET, with Chmerkovskiy’s own statement and the verbatim BBC Studios line; October 17, 7:22 PM ET, with ABC first-party confirmation. This report distinguishes the producer's confirmed one-episode absence from speculation about future weeks. DMM will update if the show releases new partnership, choreography or competition information.