Dancing with the Stars in chaos: Insiders reveal Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension could spell the end for Jenna Dewan… as feud divides the ballroom and his pro dancer wife fears for their livelihood

Jenna Dewan flashed her megawatt smile as she unveiled her new Dancing With The Stars partner Alan Bersten in a teaser video on Sunday – but behind the Hollywood sparkle, insiders say she fears her ballroom bubble is about to burst.

The actress, 45, gushed that they would perform a waltz to Unchained Melody, calling it ‘the greatest most romantic song ever’ and revealing the Dedication Night routine would honor her mother.

Just days earlier, her original partner Val Chmerkovskiy, had traded the dance floor for the sidelines after earning himself a weeklong suspension over an incendiary, since-deleted social media post.

The message invoked Will Smith’s Oscars slap and prompted accusations that he was threatening to strike judge Carrie Ann Inaba over his wife Jenna Johnson’s low score.

Six weeks into the competition, Dewan is now learning to dance to a different partner’s tune.

And despite her sunny sneak peek with Bersten, a source told the Daily Mail that she fears viewers are about to cut in – and cut her loose.

‘It’ll be interesting to see how the voters take it. But Jenna totally expects to be voted off. It sucks,’ the insider said.

Jenna Dewan unveiled new DWTS partner Alan Bersten on Sunday (above) – but insiders say she fears her ballroom exit after original partner Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension

Chmerkovskiy received a weeklong suspension over a since-deleted post invoking Will Smith’s Oscars slap that sparked accusations he threatened judge Carrie Ann Inaba over his wife Jenna Johnson’s low score; Above, Dewan and Chmerkovskiy

And they claimed she isn’t the only one fearing her next dance could be her last.

‘Along with Jenna, many of the other dancers also believe that the fans will probably vote her out unless she has the dance of a lifetime and gets such a high score that it will even everything out. 

‘But it is the talk of the ballroom, and everyone has their thoughts on the situation.’ 

It’s quite the comedown for Dewan, who entered the competition among the early favorites with a professional dance career and Step Up – the film that paired her with now-ex-husband Channing Tatum – already under her belt. 

But Chmerkovskiy’s wife Jenna Johnson is also sweating over the fallout from her husband’s outburst. 

And it’s not just Mirrorball glory at stake – it’s the couple’s paychecks, too: married since 2019, Jenna joined the show’s troupe in 2014 before becoming a pro in 2016, while Val has been a pro since 2011.

‘Jenna [Johnson] loves that her man stuck up for her but also wishes he had chosen a different approach. She was annoyed with Val because she wants to win the show – you get more money and more clout,’ the insider explained.

‘She also felt it isn’t fair to her partner.’

‘Jenna totally expects to be voted off. It sucks,’ the insider said of the fallout from Chmerkovskiy’s social media outburst at judge Inaba; Above, Inaba on Tuesday

The source also claims neither is under any illusion about who holds the cards.

‘It’s a competitive show and also their livelihood, and at the end of the day if all were to fall apart, Jenna and Val know bosses would keep Carrie over them. 

‘So to settle it all as quickly as it started was a must.’

But a second source warned that ballroom seniority offers no guarantees.

‘Anybody can be fired or not asked back. No one is off the table. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been part of the show,’ the source told the Daily Mail.

During Tuesday’s episode, Chmerkovskiy looked visibly unimpressed as Inaba critiqued Johnson and partner Harry Shum Jr.’s samba routine to Usher’s Yeah!, calling them out for an illegal lift.

But it was his subsequent TikTok post that turned a scoring spat into a full-blown ballroom headache.

But Dewan isn’t the only one sweating over Val’s suspension – his wife Jenna Johnson (above) is also feeling the heat, with insiders saying she fears her own ballroom exit

‘You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,’ he wrote in the since-deleted message.

The reference prompted comparisons to Smith storming the Oscars stage and slapping Chris Rock in 2022 after the comedian joked about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

And according to the second source, bosses refused to let it slide.

‘Actions have consequences. Producers and higher ups saw his comment about Carrie Ann and took it seriously. 

‘Quite frankly, something like this has never happened before. They’re dealing with everything for the first time and figuring out what to do, which is why he was suspended for a week.’

But our first source suggested the ballroom headache could still come with a ratings silver lining. 

‘Everyone in the back is divided over the suspension but the producers had their hands tied and had to do something because the show is on ABC and it is Disney, and at the end of the day it was the right thing to do. They will take the controversy and hope that people tune in to see everything unfold.’

With two of Smith’s former sitcom co-stars already in the DWTS mix, the stakes went beyond the judging desk. 

‘It’s a competitive show and also their livelihood, and at the end of the day if all were to fall apart, Jenna and Val know bosses would keep Carrie over them,’ the insider said; Above, with their son Rome

Tatyana Ali is competing this season, while Alfonso Ribeiro is hosting – making the Fresh Prince reference even more awkward.

‘Obviously, they didn’t like the reference to physical harm, but they also had to consider the bigger picture,’ the first insider said of the producers.

‘This season, you have Tatyana from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air competing, and Alfonso hosting. Both have a longtime connection and friendship to Will Smith, so it’s not a situation they want to hang over the season.’

And, according to the insider, there was another complication. 

‘It’s crazy timing with it being Dedication Night coming up, because Tatyana is dedicating her dance to her former co-star James Avery from Fresh Prince and there are rumblings that Alfonso will be a part of it as well.

‘So now they are going to be asked about it, and many are upset that Val didn’t really think things through, and joked about physical harm on a TV host instead. It’s pretty wild.’ 

With a sentimental tribute looming, the last thing bosses wanted, according to the insider, was an off-floor controversy stealing the spotlight.

‘This season, you have Tatyana from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air competing, and Alfonso hosting. Both have a longtime connection and friendship to Will Smith, so it’s not a situation they want to hang over the season,’ the insider said; Above, Tatyana Ali and Alfonso Ribeiro

‘It’s crazy timing with it being Dedication Night coming up, because Tatyana is dedicating her dance to her former co-star James Avery from Fresh Prince and there are rumblings that Alfonso will be a part of it as well,’ the insider added; Above, cast of Fresh Prince: Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Janet Hubert, Ribeiro, Ali, James Avery and Smith

In a since-deleted October 17 post, Chmerkovskiy admitted his attempt to defend his wife had been a serious misstep. 

‘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 added: ‘Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgement, and I hate that she was.’

He also acknowledged that Dewan had been dragged into a drama that had nothing to do with her dancing.

‘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.’

He concluded: ‘Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!’

That followed an earlier apology in which he said he had contacted Inaba directly and acknowledged that his words reached far beyond the ballroom.

‘I recognize that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am, and who I want to be for you all,’ he wrote.

While he didn’t specify what he meant by the comment, many fans thought Chmerkovskiy was referring to Fresh Prince star Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap (above)

Amid the backlash, Chmerkovskiy took to his Instagram Stories on Thursday to apologize

‘I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward.’

As for Inaba, she has yet to respond publicly – but privately, the insider claims, the controversy was not something she could simply shrug off. 

‘Val is a really nice guy and very approachable, and Carrie is a nice person, too, but she’s also strong-willed and isn’t going to let anyone walk all over her.

‘So, when she found out what Val said and did, she was genuinely upset and felt he crossed a line.’ 

The fallout has also split opinion behind the scenes, according to another source.

‘Fans are more divided than the pros. The pros are truly a family so they’re taking Val’s side more with this one, but they also don’t really have time to process what’s unfolded because they’re hard at work practicing for Tuesday’s show. The judges, the crew, the producers, etc, have seemed to take Carrie Ann’s side more.’ 

One dancer making no secret of his loyalties is Gleb Savchenko, who wasn’t asked back this season.

In a TikTok livestream, he didn’t just take aim at stand-in Alan Bersten’s dancing – he also disputed Inaba’s scoring call and declared himself firmly Team Val. 

Gleb Savchenko, who wasn’t asked back this season, didn’t just take aim at stand-in Bersten’s dancing in a TikTok livestream (above) – he also disputed Inaba’s scoring call and declared himself firmly Team Val

‘I just watched Jenna and Harry’s samba, and I think it was a really entertaining dance. But if I were [a] judge instead of Carrie Ann, I would never, ever call out that lift,’ he said.

‘It wasn’t a lift. It was a trick that has been done by true dancers helping Harry. We’ve seen it many, many times. Jenna didn’t lift him, he didn’t lift Jenna… it wasn’t done in the couple, so I think it’s bulls***.’

Branding Inaba ‘the lift police,’ Savchenko suggested she had been serving up drama as much as scores.

‘She was just doing her job, creating a good TV moment. But, yeah, I’d say Team Val on this one. I think there’s some bulls*** going on.’

And amid all the finger-pointing, the second source suggested everyone give their thumbs a rest.

‘The overall consensus is that everyone needs to put their phones down and stay off social media.’ 

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Dewan, Chmerkovskiy, Johnson and Dancing with the Stars for comment. 

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