Val Chmerkovskiy thanks Alan Bersten for covering his suspension on DWTS

Val Chmerkovskiy praised Alan Bersten for filling in as Jenna Dewan's partner on "Dancing With the Stars" while Chmerkovskiy served a one-week suspension. He posted on Instagram, "Thank you for stepping in and doing such an amazing job," and added that Dewan looked "so good and most importantly happy.

Chmerkovskiy also used his Instagram Stories to thank Bersten and encouraged viewers to vote for Dewan by texting "Jenna to 21523 Ten Times." The suspension, announced on Oct. 17, stemmed from a social-media comment that referenced the 2022 Oscars incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. In the post, Chmerkovskiy defended his wife, Jenna Johnson, after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized a lift performed during a previous show, and he quoted language from the Oscars exchange.

BBC Studios later described the remark as inappropriate, and Chmerkovskiy apologized, saying he made a poor decision and did not intend to distract from Dewan's performance. Bersten was confirmed as Dewan's partner for the upcoming "Dedication Night" episode.