Alan Bersten replaces Val Chmerkovskiy on 'DWTS' Week 6
"Dancing with the Stars" pro Alan Bersten stepped in for Val Chmerkovskiy as the latter serves a one-week suspension from the ABC competition series.
Bersten took the ballroom floor alongside Chmerkovskiy's celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, during the show's Dedication Night episode on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
In a prerecorded rehearsal package that aired ahead of their performance, Bersten acknowledged the unusual circumstances of their pairing and said he was honored to step in for the week.
"It's dedication night and I want this week's focus to be all about you," Bersten told Dewan before asking whom she would be dedicating her dance to.
"My mother," Dewan replied, opening up about the sacrifices her mother made after her parents separated when she was just 1 1/2 years old.
"The rug was pulled out from underneath her and she didn't have time to deal with her own pain, mourn, any of that," Dewan said. "Instead, she gave up a lot to help me pursue my dream."
"If my mom can go through what she did and be loving and soft and graceful about it, I can do anything," she added.
The pair then performed a Viennese waltz to "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers in honor of Dewan's mother, Nancy.
Chmerkovskiy was suspended following a since-deleted social media post that reportedly appeared to reference Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
The post came after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized a lift during a samba routine performed by Chmerkovskiy's wife, pro dancer Jenna Johnson, and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr., during the show's Oct. 13 Super Bowl Night episode.
"The well-being of everyone who works on 'Dancing with the Stars' is non-negotiable," BBC Studios, which produces the show, said in a statement Saturday.
"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," the statement continued.
Chmerkovskiy later apologized for his remarks.
"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 said in a social media post at the time.
"Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was," he added.
Bersten previously competed alongside celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis before the pair was eliminated during Week 2 of season 35.
"Dancing with the Stars" airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams on Disney+. Episodes are available the following day on Hulu.
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