Jenna Dewan is heading into one of the most emotional nights of her “Dancing With the Stars” journey without her usual partner, but fiancé Steve Kazee is making sure she knows she is not facing the sudden shake-up alone.
Hours after Val Chmerkovskiy was benched from the October 20 “Dedication Night” episode, Kazee shared a supportive message praising Dewan’s grace and resilience.
The development comes amid continuing fallout from Chmerkovskiy’s controversial social media post about judge Carrie Ann Inaba, which ultimately resulted in the first suspension of a professional dancer in the show’s history.
Jenna Dewan Gets A Strong Message From Steve Kazee
Kazee took to Instagram Stories on October 17 with a photo of Dewan from “Super Bowl Night,” offering a public vote of confidence after her partner’s suspension.
“Everytime I think I can’t love you more, your grace, your class and your heart prove me wrong,” he wrote, according to Us Weekly. He ended his message with a simple rallying cry: “You got this baby! We got you!”
The timing made the post especially notable. Dewan, 45, had just learned that she would need to prepare for “Dedication Night” with a different professional partner after Chmerkovskiy was removed from the upcoming live show.
Alan Bersten, who competed earlier this season with Giada De Laurentiis, will step in for Chmerkovskiy. Dewan and Bersten are scheduled to perform a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” in honor of Dewan’s mother, Nancy Bursch.
Kazee Has Defended Jenna Dewan Before
Kazee’s latest show of support is hardly the first time he has publicly stood behind Dewan during her “DWTS” run.
At the end of September, he praised the physical and emotional work she had put into the competition, pointing to the bruises, exhaustion, nerves and long rehearsal hours viewers do not necessarily see.
“I could not be more in awe of this incredible woman,” Kazee wrote at the time, adding that Dewan had continued to show up despite the “opinions, the chatter, and the criticism” surrounding her participation.
His support became even more pointed one week later when social media users began questioning Dewan’s chemistry with Chmerkovskiy.
As The Blast previously reported, Kazee mocked the contradictory claims that the dance partners either lacked chemistry or had too much of it.
“The spouses are unbothered,” he declared before telling critics to “put some respect” on Dewan’s name.
That history makes his latest post consistent with a pattern throughout the season. Whenever Dewan faces criticism or an unexpected obstacle, Kazee tends to respond publicly and emphatically.
Val Chmerkovskiy Says He Made A ‘Poor Decision’
The controversy began after Carrie Ann Inaba criticized a lift in Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.’s samba during the October 13 “Super Bowl Night” episode.
Chmerkovskiy, Johnson’s husband, responded on social media with a now-deleted comment that referenced Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap of Chris Rock.
The remark sparked backlash and prompted Inaba to question the tone of the response publicly.
Chmerkovskiy later apologized directly to her and acknowledged that his post had been careless.
Following his suspension, he issued another statement explaining that his instinct had been to defend his wife but that he failed to consider the wider implication of the reference.
“In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision,” he said.
As The Blast reported, Chmerkovskiy also tried to redirect attention toward Dewan, saying the last thing he wanted was to become a distraction from the work she was putting into the competition.
He confirmed he would watch “Dedication Night” from outside the ballroom while cheering on Dewan and the rest of the cast.
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‘DWTS’ Lift Debate Is Still Not Going Away
Although Chmerkovskiy accepted responsibility for his post, the dispute that triggered the controversy is still generating debate among former “DWTS” professionals.
Original pro Louis van Amstel weighed in on October 17 and said Inaba was correct to identify Johnson and Shum’s move as a lift. However, he argued that the problem was consistency.
Van Amstel pointed out that Dewan and Chmerkovskiy appeared to perform what he called a “full-on lift” during their own routine that same night without receiving the same criticism.
“I don’t mind the ‘lift police,’ she’s right to do it, but be consistent!” he said.
He also suggested the show’s rules should be clarified when additional dancers are involved in a routine rather than only the celebrity and professional pair.
Johnson herself took a less confrontational approach after Inaba’s original critique, acknowledging that the judge had a job to do and saying she would take the feedback.
Jenna Dewan Now Faces An Emotional Night With A New Partner
For Dewan, the larger controversy creates an unusual challenge heading into a week already designed to be deeply personal.
“Dedication Night” is centered around contestants honoring important people in their lives, and Dewan’s tribute to her mother was planned before Chmerkovskiy’s suspension.
She must now adapt the routine to Bersten with only days to prepare.
The shake-up also comes after Dewan has already dealt with criticism over her professional dance background and online speculation surrounding her partnership with Chmerkovskiy.
Kazee’s message suggests he believes she will handle this latest disruption the same way she has handled the rest of her “DWTS” experience.
