Jenna Dewan has shared a playful look at rehearsals with Val Chmerkovskiy following his suspension from Dancing With the Stars. In an Instagram Story shared Sunday, October 25, the actress introduced their next routine while her professional partner smiled beside her.
Chmerkovskiy flashed two peace signs, then wiped his forehead and nose. “Why am I so oily?” he asked, making Dewan laugh before the clip ended.
The video originally appeared on the show’s official Instagram account, according to Us Weekly.
People reported on October 21 that Chmerkovskiy had resumed rehearsals with Dewan.
Their Halloween Tango Comes With Two Different Movie Titles
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The pair will perform an Argentine tango to “Uninvited” by Damned Anthem and Kendra Dantes for Horror Movie Night. ABC’s lineup describes their inspiration broadly as zombie movies.
The social media promotions are more specific, although they name different films. The show’s October 24 Instagram post identifies 28 Days Later, while Dewan names its sequel, 28 Weeks Later, in the rehearsal clip quoted by Us Weekly.
A Post About Carrie Ann Inaba Led to the Suspension
The disciplinary decision followed the October 13 Super Bowl Night episode, when judge Carrie Ann Inaba questioned a lift in Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.’s samba. Johnson is married to Chmerkovskiy.
He responded on TikTok with a reference to the Fresh Prince, apparently invoking Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap of Chris Rock after a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The post was subsequently deleted.
Chmerkovskiy apologized publicly on October 15 and said he had contacted Inaba directly. On October 17, BBC Studios announced that he would sit out the following week’s broadcast, calling his post inappropriate and inconsistent with the show’s standards, ABC News reported.
In a further statement, he said his attempt to defend his wife had shown poor judgment. He acknowledged that Inaba did not deserve to be caught in the situation and said he did not want to distract from Dewan’s work.
Alan Bersten Helped Dewan Earn Her First 10
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Alan Bersten stepped in for the October 20 Dedication Night episode. He had already left the competition with celebrity partner Giada De Laurentiis, but returned to prepare a Viennese waltz with Dewan. Alongside rehearsal photographs posted before the broadcast, she thanked him for “being amazing.”
They danced to the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody” in a tribute to Dewan’s mother, Nancy, who joined them during the performance. In the rehearsal package, Dewan discussed the sacrifices her mother made after her parents separated.
In a postshow Good Morning America interview covered by Entertainment Weekly, Dewan said they had two and a half days to prepare. Bersten explained that Chmerkovskiy had choreographed the routine and given him permission to make changes.
Inaba awarded Dewan her first 10 of the season. Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli and guest judge Kym Johnson each gave a nine, bringing the total to 37 out of 40.
Halloween Scores Will Count Alongside Dedication Night
ABC says viewer votes and judges’ scores from both nights will be combined to determine the eliminations. Shirley Ballas will join the judging panel for the Halloween episode.
Dewan will be one of three celebrities performing an Argentine tango: Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov have a Black Swan routine, while Julia Stiles and Ezra Sosa will draw on The Omen.
Johnson and Shum are scheduled to perform a contemporary dance to 2WEI’s “Toxic,” inspired by Saw. Horror Movie Night airs Tuesday, October 27, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available the following day on Hulu.