Steve Kazee is pushing back against viewers questioning the chemistry between his fiancée, Jenna Dewan, and her Dancing With the Stars partner, Val Chmerkovskiy.
The actor responded in Instagram comments after a video scrutinized the pair’s interactions, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Kazee and Dewan have been together since 2018 and announced their engagement in 2020. They share two children.
Chmerkovskiy has been married to fellow DWTS professional Jenna Johnson since 2019. Johnson is also competing this season, partnered with actor Harry Shum Jr.
Kazee Called Out Conflicting Complaints About Their Chemistry
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Creator Stephanie Tleiji, who posts as @stephwithdadeets, shared the video on Oct. 7, discussing fans who thought Dewan was “a bit too touchy” with Chmerkovskiy during the previous night’s show.
“They don’t have chemistry. They have too much chemistry,” Kazee wrote. He also pointed to complaints about chemistry in the wrong places, told viewers they had too much time on their hands and added, “Make up your minds.”
“The spouses are unbothered. Stay hatin’,” he wrote. In another comment, he objected to the way the creator discussed Dewan and told her to pronounce his fiancée’s name correctly.
“Dancers are physical beings. This is like the way we say hello,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba wrote in the same discussion, according to Cosmopolitan. She asked viewers to respect Dewan, Chmerkovskiy and their partners.
Val and Jenna Johnson Described Chemistry as Part of Their Work
“To me, chemistry is camaraderie first and foremost,” Chmerkovskiy said in a Sept. 29 interview with Us Weekly. He described mutual respect and commitment to a common goal as the foundation of a successful partnership.
Chmerkovskiy said he looks for someone willing to rehearse hard, share the stress and work through uncomfortable moments with him. Seeing a partner make those sacrifices helps build their bond before it becomes part of the performance.
“Honestly, half of dance is connection,” Johnson said. She described storytelling that reaches a partner, an audience or a camera.
Johnson said she tries to keep her focus on the work, while Chmerkovskiy said he limits how far he reads into comment sections and concentrates on creating dances.
Their Mariah Carey Rumba Earned Dewan Her Highest Score Yet
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On Oct. 6, Dewan and Chmerkovskiy performed a rumba to Mariah Carey’s “My All.” The routine drew a standing ovation from Derek Hough, who praised Dewan’s movement quality and execution of the fundamental steps, according to TV Insider.
Bruno Tonioli praised the balance in Dewan’s performance, while Inaba singled out Dewan’s decision to open with a solo. She said the choice showed the courage and vulnerability she had been waiting to see.
All three judges awarded 8s, giving the pair 24 out of 30, their best score of the season. Dewan and Chmerkovskiy were subsequently announced safe to return for the next round.
Dewan and Kazee Described the Work Behind Her Performances
In a Sept. 30 Instagram tribute following Yacht Rock Night, Kazee described Dewan’s rehearsal hours, bruises, blisters, exhaustion and nerves. He wrote about seeing her doubt herself between performances and return to the studio determined to improve.
He also praised her for maintaining her enthusiasm while facing public criticism, saying her chance to reconnect with something she loved had benefited their family. “I’ll be right here cheering louder than anyone,” he wrote, according to Us Weekly.
Dewan’s previous work as a dancer for Janet Jackson and her starring role in 2006’s Step Up prompted questions about whether she had an advantage in the competition. In a Sept. 2 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she acknowledged that learning choreography and performing were familiar, but ballroom required a different technique.
She said habits from other styles initially made the adjustment harder and that the unfamiliar discipline added to her nerves. “I really wanted to challenge myself,” Dewan said.