Jenna Dewan has a new dance partner for this week’s Dancing With the Stars, and her fiancé, Steve Kazee, wants her to know he’s behind her.
Kazee shared a personal message on Instagram Stories over the weekend after Dewan’s professional partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, received a one-week suspension following a social media comment about judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
Dewan, 45, has been balancing the competition with work on ABC’s The Rookie, which is filming its ninth season. She plays firefighter Bailey Nune in the police drama.
She and Kazee made their relationship public in 2018 and announced their engagement in 2020. They share son Callum and daughter Rhiannon, while Dewan also has daughter Everly with her former husband, Channing Tatum.
Steve Kazee Praises Jenna Dewan’s Grace and Heart
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The Tony-winning actor posted a photograph of Dewan in a red-and-black dance costume, adding that her character made him love her even more.
He praised “your grace, your class, and your heart,” then added, “You got this baby! We got you!” PEOPLE reported on the tribute after producers announced Chmerkovskiy’s absence.
Earlier in October, Kazee had responded to viewers speculating about Dewan and Chmerkovskiy’s chemistry. Commenting on a video about their interactions, he said the people actually involved in the relationships were unbothered.
Inaba also defended the dancers in that discussion, explaining that physical affection was familiar within their profession and asking viewers to respect them and their partners.
A Samba Critique Led to Chmerkovskiy’s Will Smith Reference
During the October 13 episode, Inaba questioned the amount of traditional samba content in a routine performed by Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Jenna Johnson, and Harry Shum Jr. She also identified a lift, prompting Johnson to ask for clarification as Inaba read the rule’s definition.
The movement involved troupe dancers lifting Shum. Johnson later explained that she had understood the restriction to concern the competing partners, while acknowledging the judges’ authority and saying she would accept their feedback.
The following day, Chmerkovskiy posted a TikTok Story reading, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The reference was widely interpreted as invoking Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars confrontation with Chris Rock, whom Smith slapped after a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
Chmerkovskiy publicly apologized on October 15 and said he had contacted Inaba personally. Two days later, BBC Studios said his post was inappropriate and failed to meet the standards expected of people associated with the show, according to TheWrap.
Chmerkovskiy Says He Does Not Want to Distract From Dewan’s Work
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In a separate statement after the production decision, Chmerkovskiy said he had acted on an instinct to defend Johnson without considering the implications of the reference. He acknowledged that Inaba had been unfairly caught in his poor judgment.
He also addressed the consequences for his dance partner, saying he did not want the controversy to overshadow Dewan’s preparation for an important week. He encouraged viewers to send support to Inaba, Dewan and the wider cast during Dedication Night.
Chmerkovskiy said he would watch and cheer everyone on. Entertainment Weekly described the decision as the first suspension of an actively competing professional in the show’s history.
Dewan and Alan Bersten Prepare a Tribute to Her Mother
Alan Bersten, who was eliminated alongside celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis earlier in the season, appeared beside Dewan in rehearsal footage shared by the official DWTS Instagram account on October 18.
The pair will perform a Viennese waltz to the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to Dewan’s mother, Nancy. Dewan described the selection as an especially romantic song and said she was excited about the performance.
ABC’s episode announcement also confirms that two-time Mirrorball champion Kym Johnson will return as a guest judge. Ten couples remain in the competition, with viewer votes combined with the judges’ scores to determine who faces possible elimination.
Dedication Night airs Tuesday, October 20, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available the next day on Hulu.