Jenna Johnson danced on Dancing with the Stars‘ Grammy Night just hours after telling followers she had broken her nose during rehearsals.
Johnson, 32, said the injury happened during camera blocking on Monday, November 9th. That rehearsal allows the production team to work out camera positions and angles before the dancers take their routines to television.
She and celebrity partner Harry Shum Jr., 44, had been preparing a salsa to Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile.” They were among seven couples competing in the Season 35 quarterfinals.
Johnson posted her update to Instagram and TikTok on November 10th. She did not describe the precise movement that caused the injury or disclose whether a doctor had confirmed the fracture.
Johnson Shows Her Swollen Nose Before the Broadcast
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Sitting in her car, Johnson brought her face close to the camera and pointed to the affected area. “No black eyes today, which is awesome,” she said, maintaining a lighthearted tone.
According to USA Today, she joked that viewers might notice her nose looking four times its usual size. She finished with a smile and thumbs-up, captioning the post, “Salsa: 1 Jenna’s nose: 0.”
Fellow DWTS professional Hailey Bills responded on TikTok with encouragement and a joke about using makeup to conceal the swelling. Another commenter referenced Shum’s role as Dr. Benson Kwan on Grey’s Anatomy, suggesting it was fortunate that her partner played a doctor.
An Earlier Rehearsal Collision Left Shum on the Floor
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The pair had another painful encounter while preparing for Mariah Carey Night. In footage Johnson posted October 7th, their heads collided during an acrobatic rehearsal move, leaving Shum rolling away on the studio floor.
Johnson apologized to him in the caption and joked about dancing being dangerous. The clip appeared the day after their October 6th tango to “It’s Like That,” which earned 24 out of 30 points from the judges.
Speaking to Extra after that performance, Johnson took responsibility for the collision while Shum acknowledged accidentally stepping on her feet. As Parade reported, she then added, “I also broke your toe, so…” The two laughed about the mishaps as they described their difficult practice sessions.
A Single Point Earned Their Dance-Off Exemption
On November 2nd, Johnson and Shum received a perfect 40 out of 40 for their Disney Night jazz routine to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” from Mary Poppins. Cynthia Erivo had joined the judging panel for the evening.
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy matched that score with their quickstep to “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast. The tiebreaker came down to cumulative season points: Cosmopolitan reported that Johnson and Shum had 236, edging ahead of the other pair’s 235.
Under ABC‘s rules, the pass exempted them from the additional dance-off, while elimination still depended on judges’ scores and viewer votes. Brandy and Monica, Maren Morris and Sheryl Crow performed during the other couples’ matchups.
Johnson and Shum Advance to the Semifinals
Their salsa earned 29 out of 30, with Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli awarding 10s and Derek Hough giving a nine, according to ABC7.
Two automatic bonus points brought their total to 31, the night’s highest score. They secured a place among the six couples moving into the next round.
The semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, November 17th, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. Episodes are available the following day on Hulu.