Los Angeles: Jenna Dewan‘s fiancé, Steve Kazee, has publicly rallied behind the actress after her Dancing With the Stars partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, was suspended from the show for a week over a controversial social media post referencing the infamous Will Smith Oscars slap.
Kazee, 50, took to his Instagram Stories on Saturday to send Jenna Dewan a message of love and support, writing alongside a photo of the 45-year-old Step Up star dolled up from the show’s “Super Bowl Night”: “Everytime I think I can’t love you more, your grace, your class and your heart prove me wrong.”
“You got this baby! We got you!” the Shameless alum added, as reported by Page Six.
Kazee, who announced his engagement to Jenna Dewan in 2020, has stood by the actress since she began her DWTS journey with Chmerkovskiy in September. But her competition run took a dramatic turn this week when her pro partner was sidelined by the show’s producers.
Jenna Dewan’s DWTS Partner Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended for a Week
Val Chmerkovskiy, 40, was suspended from performing on Dancing With the Stars for one week following a controversial TikTok post in which he referenced Will Smith and Chris Rock’s 2022 Oscars incident, Page Six reported.
In the TikTok post, the pro dancer was defending his wife, fellow DWTS pro Jenna Johnson, after judge Carrie Ann Inaba delivered harsh feedback over a lift Johnson and her celebrity partner, actor Harry Shum Jr., included in their samba during “Super Bowl Night.”
During the episode, Inaba, 58, criticised Johnson for the lift, even reading out the technical definition of one from a piece of paper: “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.” Johnson, 32, appeared taken aback by the remarks. Inaba also told Shum Jr. to “put more content in [his] dances.”
Jenna Dewan Caught in the Middle of the Will Smith Slap Meme Controversy
Chmerkovskiy fired back at the critique on social media, invoking the 2022 Oscars moment when Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith — an incident preceded by Smith shouting, “Keep my wife’s name out your f–king mouth!”
“You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” Chmerkovskiy wrote in a TikTok status, which he later deleted. The reference to the Oscars slap quickly drew a reaction from Inaba, who responded via her Instagram Stories: “So this is what we are doing now?”
A few days later, it was revealed that Chmerkovskiy would be sitting out the forthcoming DWTS episode. A statement from a BBC Studios producer, quoted by Deadline, read: “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable. 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 Chmerkovskiy Apologizes: ‘I Made a Poor Decision’
Chmerkovskiy issued his own statement after the suspension, saying his “instinct” had been to “defend” his wife, Jenna Johnson. He admitted he “made a poor decision” by referencing the meme.
“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,” the dancer said, according to Page Six.
“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was,” he continued, adding that “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.”
What Happens Next for Jenna Dewan on DWTS
Despite losing her pro partner for the week, Jenna Dewan‘s DWTS run continues. She will dance with DWTS pro Alan Bersten on Tuesday’s “Dedication Night,” with the duo set to perform a Viennese waltz in honor of Dewan’s mom, Nancy Bursch.
The sudden partner swap adds pressure to what was already a high-stakes week for Jenna Dewan, who has been a fan favorite since joining the ballroom competition. Her journey has drawn extra attention thanks to Kazee’s public support, with the couple’s engagement and growing family keeping them in the headlines throughout the season.
Who Is Jenna Dewan?
Jenna Dewan, now 45, rose to fame as the female lead opposite Channing Tatum in the 2006 dance film Step Up, which became a cultural phenomenon and launched a franchise. A trained dancer from childhood, she went on to star in The Playboy Club, Witches of East End, Supergirl and The Resident, and she has built a successful career as an author, producer and wellness entrepreneur.
Her casting on Dancing With the Stars this season was widely seen as a natural fit — one of the rare celebrity contestants with a genuine professional dance background — and she has been among the early standouts of the competition since the season premiered in September.
Val Chmerkovskiy’s DWTS Legacy
Chmerkovskiy, 40, is one of the most decorated pros in DWTS history, with multiple mirrorball trophies to his name across his long tenure on the show. He is married to fellow pro Jenna Johnson, 32, with whom he shares a close professional and personal partnership — a dynamic that has occasionally put both dancers at the center of ballroom storylines.
The suspension marks a rare disciplinary moment for the franchise, which has prided itself on its family-friendly image across more than three decades on air. The BBC Studios statement made clear that the producers considered the TikTok reference to the Oscars slap — an incident involving onstage physical violence — a line that could not be crossed, regardless of the dancer’s intent.
Fan Reaction Pours In
As news of the suspension spread, DWTS fans flooded social media with reactions — many backing Jenna Dewan and arguing she should not suffer for her partner’s off-camera remarks, with many urging voters to keep her in the competition regardless of the backstage drama. The suspension has also reignited debate about how strictly reality shows should police their stars’ personal social media.
Kazee’s heartfelt tribute underscores the couple’s united front during a turbulent week. The actor’s message — praising Jenna Dewan‘s “grace, your class and your heart” — came as fans rallied around the actress on social media, many expressing sympathy that she had been caught in a controversy she did not create.
While Chmerkovskiy sits out next week’s show, all eyes will be on Jenna Dewan and Alan Bersten’s Viennese waltz — and on whether the fan-favorite star can keep her momentum going despite the disruption.
Read more trending stories: LB Daily News
Source reporting: Page Six
Photos: Anders Krusberg / Peabody Awards, Paul Lim via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0 / CC BY 4.0)
