Jenna Dewan, 45, and professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy were eliminated from Dancing With the Stars during the November 10 Grammy Night episode.
They earned 28 out of 30 points for their individual routine and two bonus points for beating Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik in a cha-cha dance-off, accompanied by Maren Morris performing “The Middle” live. Their total tied for second on the judges’ leaderboard, according to ABC7.
“I’m definitely bummed out,” Dewan said afterward in an interview shared by Entertainment Weekly. She had hoped to create more routines.
The result combined judges’ scores with live viewer votes, leaving six couples to advance to the November 17 semifinals.
Val Reminds Dewan They Can Keep Dancing
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Chmerkovskiy posted an Instagram video with Dewan beside him after the live show, thanking viewers for supporting their work. “First of all, we’re friends, we can dance anytime,” he told her, before suggesting they meet to dance the following day.
Dewan said she still wanted to learn the foxtrot, and Chmerkovskiy joked that their future dance sessions could go ahead without needing viewers’ votes.
His caption thanked Dewan for letting him accompany her through the season. Parade reported that former contestant Amanda Kloots praised their partnership and thought their performance deserved a perfect score. Angela Ribeiro, wife of host Alfonso Ribeiro, also left an encouraging message, describing Dewan’s performance as inspiring.
Janet Jackson Sent Dewan a Personal Invitation
Dewan revisited her early career with a jazz routine to Janet Jackson’s “All for You.” Before becoming known for her acting, she appeared in that song’s music video and Jackson’s “Doesn’t Really Matter” video.
Carrie Ann Inaba suggested viewers would want to enroll in jazz classes after watching her, while Derek Hough said she continued to inspire dancers. Bruno Tonioli even joked that she had outdanced her professional partner.
Jackson then appeared in a recorded message, praising Dewan and inviting her to meet when she returned to Los Angeles. Dewan told Extra she was ready to accept, joking that Chmerkovskiy would be joining them and that they could dance together there.
Dewan Addresses a Difficult Week of Online Criticism
Asked by Extra whether online discussion had affected the result, Dewan acknowledged a particularly difficult week. “I’ll never know how or if any of that plays into this,” she said. Chmerkovskiy described a competitive field, said he had no regrets and planned to support the remaining couples from home.
Her casting had drawn criticism because of her professional dance experience. In September, TV Insider reported her explanation that ballroom required unfamiliar techniques and some unlearning of habits from other styles, even though her training helped with choreography and performing.
Chmerkovskiy also missed the October 20 episode after an inappropriate social media comment about Inaba. Producer BBC Studios announced the suspension in a statement reported by ABC News, and he publicly apologized. Alan Bersten partnered with Dewan for that week’s Dedication Night.
Dewan Reflects on Returning to Dance
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Dewan called Chmerkovskiy her “bucket list partner” and enjoyed performing live for her family after a long break from dance. He said she pushed him creatively.
In a separate Instagram Story covered by Good Morning America, Dewan said she was so exhausted and sore that she might spend two weeks in bed. She said she still needed time to process her emotions and thanked the wider production, including the dancers and troupe members.
Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Jenna Johnson, told Entertainment Weekly the result was “heartbreaking.” She praised the care he put into the partnership and now considers Dewan’s family part of her own circle. Johnson remembered Dewan’s final dance in Step Up as an early inspiration to pursue dancing onscreen.