Val, Jenna Dewan's regular dancing partner, was suspended after his controversial remarks aimed at judge Carrie Ann
Val Chmerkovskiy is expressing his gratitude to Alan Bersten, who came to rescue Jenna Dewan’s week six performance amid his suspension from Dancing with the Stars.
The DWTS team announced the 40-year-old pro dancer's suspension ahead of the week six episode after he made a controversial remark referencing Will Smith's infamous Oscar slap in response to criticism that judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave his wife, Jenna Johnson, in a previous episode.
Alan, who was eliminated in a previous episode of the show, then stepped in to take Val's place as Jenna's dancing partner.
Hours before the week six episode on October 20, Alan took to his Instagram account and shared some glimpses into his and Jenna's preparations for "Dedication Night."
“I am so honored to be stepping in and dancing with jennadewan you are such a light and it’s so beautiful to see you and your mom sharing the floor,” he wrote along with several snaps of himself and Jenna dancing.
Val took to the comment section under the post and thanked Alan for saving the day.
“Thank you for stepping in and doing such an amazing job,” Val penned
He then gushed over their performance, noting, “Jenna looks so good and most importantly happy.”
This came after Val publicly apologized for his remark following his suspension in a statement shared with Page Six.
He admitted that it was his “instinct” to “defend” his wife Jenna Johnson following Judge Inaba’s harsh criticism of her performance.