Jenna Dewan Thanks Alan Bersten Amid DWTS Partner Swap

Jenna Dewan has addressed the latest Dancing with the Stars partnership change, thanking Alan Bersten for “stepping in” after Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended from the show.

Bersten temporarily replaced Chmerkovskiy as Dewan’s professional partner for an upcoming performance. The change attracted attention because Dewan and Chmerkovskiy had already been paired on the competition series.

Reports from TV Insider, the Los Angeles Times, E! News, and Parade offer perspectives from Dewan, Bersten, and Chmerkovskiy. However, the available reports do not explain the reason for Chmerkovskiy’s suspension, how long it will last, or whether Bersten will remain Dewan’s partner.

This article separates confirmed details from open questions. Confirmed: Chmerkovskiy was suspended, Bersten replaced him temporarily, Dewan thanked Bersten, and Chmerkovskiy reacted. Everything else — cause, duration, permanence — sits in the unconfirmed column, and the sections below mark which is which.

What Happened Between Jenna Dewan, Val Chmerkovskiy, and Alan Bersten?

Val Chmerkovskiy was temporarily removed from Dancing with the Stars, prompting the show to change Dewan’s professional partnership for an upcoming performance. Alan Bersten stepped in to rehearse and perform with Dewan during the suspension.

The supplied reports do not identify why Chmerkovskiy was suspended. No verified explanation can be added without a direct statement from the show, Chmerkovskiy, or another fully sourced report.

Bersten described the opportunity as an honor. His role is presented as a temporary replacement, not a confirmed permanent cast or partnership change. Source 3

The wording in the coverage matters. “Suspended” describes Chmerkovskiy’s status with the show. “Stepping in” describes Bersten’s role. “Partner” describes the pairing that governs rehearsal and performance. None of these terms confirms permanence, and none assigns fault. Read as separate events, a suspension is a status change for one dancer, while a replacement is the show’s staffing response. Treating the two as one event is how unsupported claims about a feud or a firing enter a story that the sourcing does not support.

Jenna Dewan Thanks Alan Bersten for “Stepping In”

Dewan thanked Bersten for accepting the role during the unexpected transition. TV Insider reported on her response to the DWTS drama and her acknowledgment of Bersten’s support. Source 1

Her comments recognize the professional demands of joining an established partnership with limited preparation time. A new partner can require changes to choreography, lifts, transitions, spacing, timing, and rehearsal schedules.

Dewan’s appreciation does not establish a personal dispute with Chmerkovskiy. The available reporting confirms a professional change linked to his suspension, not a feud between the dancers.

The Los Angeles Times also reported on Dewan teasing her upcoming performance with Bersten. Source 7

How a Midseason Partner Change Affects a Routine

Ballroom routines are built around two bodies, not one. The frame — the hand and arm connection that links the couple — sets the distance between partners and controls how leads and follows read on camera. Substituting one half of that frame changes reach, height, and grip, so the surviving dancer adjusts posture and arm position rather than repeating the original blocking.

Lifts carry the largest risk. A lift depends on the lifter’s strength, the timing of the takeoff, and the flown partner’s trust in the catch. With a new partner, the pair must renegotiate grip points, the count on which the lift launches, and the release. Choreography that fit one pair can be simplified or reworked for another.

Transitions and spacing follow. Floor positions are marked relative to the partner, so a different stride length shifts every subsequent mark. Camera blocking must be redone to keep both dancers in frame. Costuming, rehearsal hours, and the count structure of the music all get revisited. That is why a substitution announced shortly before a performance produces visible changes in a routine, and why Dewan’s thanks to Bersten reads as acknowledgment of work rather than a verdict on anyone else.

Alan Bersten’s Response

Bersten said he was “honored” to replace Chmerkovskiy as Dewan’s partner. His statement frames the change as a professional responsibility and an opportunity to support Dewan, rather than as a rivalry.

Parade also reported that Bersten addressed Chmerkovskiy’s suspension. The supplied source information does not include the complete wording of his comments, so his position should be described narrowly. Source 9

The available reports do not confirm that Bersten has permanently taken Chmerkovskiy’s place. They also do not establish whether the change applies to one performance, several episodes, or the rest of the season.

“Honored” is a forward-facing word: it accepts the assignment and recognizes the trust involved. It is not a claim to the position, and it does not describe the circumstances that created the opening. Read narrowly, Bersten’s comment confirms willingness and respect for Dewan. Any reading that treats it as confirmation of a lasting partnership goes beyond the text.

What Val Chmerkovskiy Has Said

E! News reported on Chmerkovskiy’s reaction to being replaced by Bersten during the suspension. Source 5

The supplied summary does not provide enough detail to characterize his reaction as angry, supportive, apologetic, or confrontational. It confirms only that he responded to the temporary replacement.

His reaction provides context but does not explain the suspension. The available reports do not confirm a return date, the suspension’s duration, or Chmerkovskiy’s future role on the show.

Tone is the easiest thing to get wrong from a summary. Coverage that reports a reaction without reproducing full remarks supports one conclusion: the dancer spoke. Inferring emotion from a paraphrase risks turning a neutral statement into a controversy. Where full quotes become available, the useful checks are who is speaking, what they were asked, and whether they describe the past or the plan.

What Remains Unknown

The following details remain unconfirmed:

• The reason for Chmerkovskiy’s suspension.
• The duration of the suspension.
• Whether Chmerkovskiy will return for a specific episode.
• Whether Bersten will remain Dewan’s partner.
• Whether the dancers have any personal conflict.

Rumors, social media claims, and unrelated reports should not be treated as confirmation. Official announcements from Dancing with the Stars, ABC, Disney, Dewan, Bersten, or Chmerkovskiy would provide the clearest updates.

How to Check Whether an Update Is Confirmed

Start with the parties who control the information: the show and its network, then the dancers themselves. A statement issued in a dancer’s own words, or a show announcement naming a return date, settles questions that reporting cannot.

Second, check attribution. A confirmed detail normally names who said it — a representative, a statement, an on-record interview. Headlines that assert a reason or a timeline without naming a source are aggregation, not confirmation.

Third, watch tense and scope. “Will return” and “has returned” describe different facts. “Suspended” and “departed” are not interchangeable. A claim that a replacement is permanent should be traceable to the show, not inferred from the fact that a substitution happened.

Why the Story Has Generated Attention

The partnership change combines several factors: Dewan’s visibility, Chmerkovskiy’s suspension, Bersten’s replacement role, an upcoming performance, and public comments from all three dancers.

The phrase “stepping in” emphasizes Bersten’s role as a reliable substitute during a disruption. It does not prove a broader personal relationship between Dewan and Bersten or establish a dispute between Dewan and Chmerkovskiy.

Audiences invest in pairs, not individuals, so a swap registers as a change to the thing viewers were following. Judging continuity sharpens that interest: scores earned by a couple are public, and a new pairing resets the comparison. Three dancers commenting on one change supplies the second ingredient — enough on-record material to report without guessing, and enough gaps to invite guessing.

The confirmed sequence is straightforward: Chmerkovskiy was suspended, Bersten temporarily replaced him as Dewan’s partner, Dewan thanked Bersten for his support, and Chmerkovskiy reacted to the change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Alan Bersten replace Val Chmerkovskiy?

Bersten replaced Chmerkovskiy as Dewan’s partner while Chmerkovskiy was suspended from the show. The supplied reports do not state why the suspension occurred.

What did Jenna Dewan say about Alan Bersten?

Dewan thanked Bersten for “stepping in” as her temporary partner and recognized his support during the unexpected change.

Is Alan Bersten Jenna Dewan’s permanent partner?

The sources describe Bersten as a temporary replacement. They do not confirm whether he will remain Dewan’s partner.

Did Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy have a personal conflict?

The available reporting does not confirm a personal conflict. The confirmed issue involves Chmerkovskiy’s suspension and the resulting professional partnership change.

What happened to Val Chmerkovskiy after he was replaced?

Chmerkovskiy reacted to being replaced, according to E! News coverage. The available summaries do not confirm the length of his suspension or his next appearance on the show.

Did the show explain the suspension?

No explanation appears in the supplied reports. Only a statement from Dancing with the Stars or its network, or from Chmerkovskiy, would confirm a reason.

What is confirmed so far?

Four things: Chmerkovskiy was suspended, Bersten temporarily took his place as Dewan’s partner for an upcoming performance, Dewan publicly thanked Bersten, and Chmerkovskiy responded to the change.