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Jenna Dewan making for one of her most emotional nights.”Dancing With The Stars” a trip without her usual husband, but lover Steve Kazee making sure she knows she’s not facing the sudden shake alone.
Hours later Val Chmerkovsky Snapped from the Oct. 20 “Night of Dedication” episode, Kazee shared a supportive message praising Dewan’s grace and resilience.
The development comes amid ongoing fallout from Chmerkovskiy’s controversial social media post about a judge Carrie Ann Inabawhich 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 Oct. 17 with a photo of Dewan from “Super Bowl Night,” offering a public vote of confidence after her partner’s suspension.
“Every time I think I can’t love you more, your grace, class and heart prove me wrong,” he wrote, according to Every week. He ended his message with a simple rallying cry: “You got this baby! We got you!”
The timing made the post especially special. Dewan, 45, had just found out she would have to prepare for “Dedication Night” with another professional partner after Chmerkovskiy pulled her out of 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’s publicly stood behind Dewan during his “DWTS” run.
At the end of September, he praised the physical and emotional work she put into the competition, pointing out the bruises, fatigue, nerves and long rehearsal hours that spectators don’t necessarily see.
“I couldn’t be more in awe of this amazing woman,” Kazee wrote at the time, adding that Dewan had continued to show up despite the “comments, chatter and criticism” surrounding her.
His support became even more important a week later when social media users began questioning Dewan’s chemistry with Chmerkovskiy.
As previously reported by The Blast, Kazee scoffed at the controversial claims that the dance partners lacked chemistry or had too much of it.
“Spouses are unconcerned,” he said before telling critics to “put some respect” on Dewan’s name.
That history makes his last post consistent with a pattern throughout the season. When Dewan faces criticism or an unexpected setback, Kazee tends to respond publicly and firmly.
Val Chmerkovsky says he made a ‘bad decision’
The controversy started after Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.’s samba lift. 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 Chris Rock Oscars snub.
This statement backfired and led Inaba to publicly question the tone of the response.
Chmerkovsky later apologized directly to her and admitted that his role had been irresponsible.
After he was suspended, he issued another statement explaining that his instinct was to protect his wife but that he did not consider the wider implications of the remark.
“In a moment where I had the instinct to protect my wife, I made a bad decision,” he said.
As The Blast reported, Chmerkovskiy also tried to draw attention to Dewan, saying that the last thing he wanted was to distract from the work she was putting into the competition.
He confirmed that he would be watching “Dedication Night” outside the ballroom as he cheered on Dewan and the rest of the cast.
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The ‘DWTS’ Lift Debate isn’t going away just yet
Although Chmerkovskiy took responsibility for his role, the controversy that sparked the controversy continues to spark debate among former “DWTS” pros.
Original pro Louis van Amstel weighed in on October 17 and said Inaba was right to label Johnson and Shum’s move as a lift. However, he argued that consistency was the problem.
Van Amstel pointed out that Dewan and Chmerkovskiy apparently did what he called a “well-deserved lift” during their own practice the same night without receiving the same criticism.
“I don’t mind the lift police, it’s the right thing to do, but be consistent!” he said.
He also suggested that the rules of the show should be clarified when additional dancers are involved in a routine rather than just the famous and professional pair.
Johnson herself took a less confrontational approach after Inaba’s initial criticism, acknowledging the judge had work to do and saying she would take feedback.
Jenna Dewan is now facing an emotional night with a new partner
For Dewan, the biggest controversy creates an unusual challenge going into a week already designed to be very personal.
“Dedication Night” centers on contestants honoring important people in their lives, and Dewan’s tribute to her mother was planned before Chmerkovskiy’s cancellation.
She must now switch the practice to Bersten with only days to prepare.
The shakeup also comes after Dewan dealt with criticism about her professional dance background and online speculation about her partnership with Chmerkovskiy.
Kazee’s message indicates that he believes she will handle this latest debacle the same way she handled the rest of her “DWTS” experience.
