Jenna Dewan‘s fiancé Steve Kazee is rallying around her in light of her Dancing With the Stars professional partner Val Chmerkovskiy‘s suspension from the show.
“Everytime I think I can’t love you more, your grace, your class and your heart prove me wrong, ” Steve, 50, captioned a photo of Jenna from DWTS‘ “Super Bowl Night” on Saturday, October 17, via his Instagram Stories. “You got this baby! We got you!”
The Tony Award-winning actor — who has frequently championed Jenna throughout the competition thus far — spoke out hours after Dancing With the Stars producers officially benched Val, 40, from performing with the Rookie actress on “Dedication Night” on Tuesday, October 20. Jenna will now partner with Giada De Laurentiis‘ former pro Alan Bersten for a Viennese waltz in honor of her mother, Nancy Bursch.
Controversy erupted earlier this week when Val took issue with DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba calling out a lift that his wife and fellow pro, Jenna Johnson, used in her samba with Harry Shum Jr. on “Super Bowl Night.”
“A lift is — I just need to say it — any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner,” Carrie Ann, 58, pointed out in her evaluation.
Val took issue with Carrie Ann’s feedback in several social media posts, including writing in a now-deleted message, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” (His joke referenced an infamous moment at the 2022 Oscars when Will Smith walked on stage and slapped presenter Chris Rock for making a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.)
His social media comment sparked an uproar, with Carrie Ann herself incredulously asking via her Instagram Story on Thursday, October 15, if “this is what we are doing now?”
While Val subsequently apologized, a spokesperson for DWTS‘ production company, BBC Studios, announced on Saturday that the pro will have to sit out the next live show.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” a BBC Studios rep told Us in a statement. “Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”
Val offered yet another public mea culpa on Saturday, confirming that he “won’t be in the ballroom this week” for “Dedication Night.”
Val Chmerkovskiy Disney/Ser Baffo
“In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention,” he told Us in a statement. “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
The dancer added, “The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during ‘Dedication Night.’ I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
Carrie Ann has not responded to Val’s suspension, as of publication.
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.