Tuesday’s ninth-week episode of Dancing With the Stars delivered a major shock when frontrunner Jenna Dewan was unexpectedly eliminated from the competition.
With the finale only two weeks away, the remaining contestants faced a demanding double challenge: they had to perform their regular routine before taking part in a head-to-head dance battle for a place in the semifinals.
The episode celebrated the Grammy Awards, with each couple performing to a song that had either won or received a nomination at music’s biggest ceremony. Judges Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba then delivered their scores.
Dewan and her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, performed Janet Jackson’s “All for You,” earning 28 out of 30. Chmerkovskiy had recently returned to the show after serving a one-week suspension.
Despite their strong performance, the pair were sent home, leaving the studio audience visibly stunned.
Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Jenna Johnson, also took the stage while nursing an injury. She performed a salsa with Harry Shum Jr. to Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile,” just hours after revealing that she had broken her nose the previous night.
Tuesday’s episode delivered a shock when frontrunner Jenna Dewan and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy were eliminated
Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. performed a salsa to Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile” after Johnson revealed that she had broken her nose the night before
Dewan earned enthusiastic feedback from the judges following her opening performance.
“You were in the comfort zone,” Bruno said, suggesting that she had outperformed her partner.
“I’m not surprised,” Chmerkovskiy replied.
Dewan also received a personal video message from Janet Jackson. “I miss you, I love you, I can’t wait to see you tonight. You’re going to do a wonderful job, I know it. Let’s get together next time I’m in L.A.,” Jackson said.
The pair later won their dance battle against Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik. Both couples performed a cha cha to “The Middle” by Maren Morris, who sang the track live.
After Dewan’s elimination was announced, host Julianne Hough described the result as “shocking, to say the least.”
Dewan used her exit to thank Hough, her partner Steve Kazee and her daughter, who were in the audience. “Honestly, dancing again and getting to share my joy with my family over here every single night—thank you, my baby, thank you,” she said.
“I had a great time and I loved getting to share that with the world. Honestly, all love,” she added.
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy performed Janet Jackson’s “All for You,” earning a score of 28 out of 30
Chmerkovskiy said he was “not surprised” that Dewan danced better than he did during their routine
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy won their dance battle against Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik, performing a cha cha to “The Middle” as Maren Morris sang live
The pair were nevertheless eliminated after an impressive night, prompting a stunned reaction from the audience
Chmerkovskiy returned to Dancing With the Stars last month after serving a one-week suspension over a controversial social media post.
The controversy began when he reacted to Inaba awarding his wife, Johnson, an eight during the October 13 episode. His response referenced Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap and ultimately led to his suspension.
Following the episode, Chmerkovskiy posted a since-deleted message to his TikTok Story that joked, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” Inaba had criticized Johnson for executing a lift, a move generally frowned upon in ballroom competitions.
Many viewers believed the post referred to Smith’s 2022 Oscars altercation with Chris Rock, who had made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. During the incident, Smith slapped Rock and shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f***ing mouth!”
Chmerkovskiy later explained that his comment referred specifically to the “keep my wife’s name” line.
After facing intense criticism, Chmerkovskiy apologized publicly. BBC Studios then confirmed that he would miss one episode, making him the first professional dancer in the show’s history to be suspended.
Elsewhere in Tuesday’s episode, Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik opened with a tango to the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow,” earning a score of 27.
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Johnson and Shum Jr. impressed the judges as well. Derek called their performance “magnetic,” while Bruno described it as a “supercharged, extra spicy salsa.”
Johnson and Shum Jr. were praised for their “magnetic” performance despite Johnson’s injury
Johnson disclosed the injury in an Instagram video earlier that day: “So, last night I definitely broke my nose during camera blocking”; (Source: Jenna Johnson/Instagram)
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas performed an Argentine tango to Sisqo’s “Thong Song,” earning 27 out of 30
Higgins and Ballas later won their dance battle against Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold, performing a cha cha to “All I Wanna Do” as Sheryl Crow sang live
Earlier, Wood and Arnold performed an Argentine tango to Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack,” receiving a score of 27
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach danced an Argentine tango to Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love (Remix),” earning 27 points
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov performed a paso doble to Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life,” earning a 28
Glenn and Pashkov later won their battle against Frech and Karagach, dancing to “The Boy Is Mine” as Brandy and Monica performed live
That routine earned the pair a score of 29 out of 30.
Glenn and Pashkov were also exempt from the dance-off after securing immunity the previous week by recording the highest cumulative score of the season.
Despite her broken nose, Johnson told the audience that she felt “amazing” after the performance. Earlier, she had detailed the injury in a video shared on Instagram.
“All right, you guys. So, last night I definitely broke my nose during camera blocking,” she said.
Pointing to the right side of her face, she added, “If you can see this side, right here and right here, it’s a little swollen.”
“No black eyes today, which is awesome. But if my nose looks four times its size, that’s why,” Johnson said.
Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas earned 27 out of 30 for their Argentine tango to Sisqo’s “Thong Song.”
Higgins also revealed that she was performing with a rib injury.
Carrie Ann praised Higgins as both “graceful” and a “warrior” for taking the stage despite the pain.
“For me, that was a work of art,” Inaba said.
Higgins and Ballas then defeated Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold in the dance battle, with the couples performing a cha cha to Sheryl Crow’s “All I Wanna Do,” sung live by Crow.
Earlier in the episode, Wood and Arnold performed an Argentine tango to Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack,” earning a score of 27.
Dancing with the Stars airs live on ABC and Disney+ and streams the following day on Hulu
Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach also received 27 for their Argentine tango to Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love (Remix).”
Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov scored 28 with their paso doble to Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life.”
Later, Glenn and Pashkov won their dance battle against Frech and Karagach, performing to “The Boy Is Mine” by Brandy and Monica, who appeared live on the show.
Dancing with the Stars airs live on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesdays and streams the following day on Hulu.
