“This was a particularly tough week, for a lot of the online noise and all that stuff comes with the show,” Jenna Dewan told Extra after her exit.
The pair’s departure surprised viewers because they finished the evening as the second-highest-scoring couple, earning 28 out of 30 points for a jazz routine to Janet Jackson’s “All for You” and securing an extra two points by winning their dance-off, E! News reported.
“I’ll never know how or if any of that plays into this, but I know that we went out there and had the best time of our life,” Dewan said, according to Page Six.
Chmerkovskiy insisted he had no regrets about how the season unfolded, despite missing a week of competition earlier in the fall. “Every week’s a shocker. It’s very competitive. A lot of great couples out there. “Definitely a sad result, but no regrets. I thought we had a great season,” Chmerkovskiy said.”
The choreographer missed an episode following a controversy during the October 13 taping. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Chmerkovskiy’s wife and fellow pro, Jenna Johnson, for executing an illegal lift in a samba routine performed with partner Harry Shum Jr., Page Six reported. Chmerkovskiy subsequently posted a social media post referencing Will Smith’s Oscars slap, writing, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
Although Chmerkovskiy apologized for the post, he was still placed on a one-week suspension, which left Dewan to dance with another pro while Chmerkovskiy was absent.
While Chmerkovskiy expressed satisfaction with their run, social media users pointed to the earlier drama as a factor in the voting results. “I think the reason Jenna left so early is bc of the whole controversy with Val,” one Reddit user wrote, as cited by Page Six.
Other viewers noted that Dewan performed well despite the external backlash. “It’s unfortunate Jenna went home but honestly she made it pretty far given the controversy surrounding her partner this season, which wasn’t her fault to be clear! But it still made people wary of voting for their partnership,” another fan posted on the platform.
The musical-themed competition featured live performances during the dance-off round, with Brandy and Monica and Sheryl Crow and Maren Morris present in the ballroom. During the dance-off, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik performed a tango to the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Pow” with will.i.am in the ballroom to support the duo.
No couple achieved a perfect 30/30 score during the night. Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson came closest with a 29/30 for their salsa to “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars.
Six couples remain for the semifinals on November 17, including Tatyana Ali, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Maura Higgins, Harry Shum Jr., and Connor Wood.
The show airs on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with streaming available the following day on Hulu.
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