Pasha Pashkov weighs in on how “DWTS” controversy impacted ‘important’ week
Pasha Pashkov weighs in on how “DWTS” controversy impacted ‘important’ week
Daysia TolentinoWed, October 21, 2026 at 3:41 PM UTC
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Brooke Glenn, Amber Glenn, and Pasha Pashkov during Dedication Night on ‘Dancing With the Stars’Credit: Disney/Eric McCandlessKey Points -
Pro Pasha Pashkov shared how Val Chmerkovskiy’s recent controversy impacted Dedication Night on Dancing With the Stars.
Chmerkovskiy was pulled from this week’s show after making a heated comment toward judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
Chmerkovskiy’s partner Jenna Dewan danced with Alan Bersten instead.
Pasha Pashkov is opening up about how the Dancing With the Stars cast moved forward with Dedication Night following the recent controversy around pro Val Chmerkovskiy.
Pashkov and his partner Amber Glenn performed a contemporary dance to “Breathe Me” by Sia, which was dedicated to Glenn’s sister, Brooke. They earned one of the first 10s of the season on Tuesday, in what judge Bruno Tonioli said was “an emotional tour de force.”
But ahead of their stellar night, the DWTS ballroom was afflicted by drama as Chmerkovskiy was pulled from the program for the week after making a heated comment toward judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Pashkov shared how the move impacted the rest of the cast.
“We had to honestly lock in on our job here, you know, which was to have a great Dedication Week, to focus on the task at hand and make sure that this night that is so special every single season [remains] a special night,” he told Us Weekly on Tuesday after the show. “So that’s the only way to do it.”
Pashkov said he and Glenn entered the night with “the right intention,” as they wanted to make sure that they gave their all during the heartfelt night.
“It’s one of those weeks where we knew that [we had] all of the stories that everybody wanted to tell. It was so important for everybody,” he said.
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Val Chmerkovskiy, who was absent from this week’s ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ attends the 2025 Variety Power of Young Hollywood eventCredit: Frazer Harrison/Getty
Last week, tempers flared after Inaba had a tense exchange with pro Jenna Johnson, who is Chmerkovskiy’s wife. Inaba had called Johnson out for a lift, which surprised the dancer. In response to her confusion, the judge had read the definition of a lift to her.
Following the moment, Johnson said that Inaba was “doing her job.” However, her husband did not take the critique lightly. In addition to saying that Inaba was “trippin talking to her like that,” Chmerkovskiy also said in a TikTok Story, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” seemingly invoking Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap.
He later apologized, saying, “I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it.”
Alan Bersten and Jenna Dewan dance during Dedication Night on ‘Dancing With the Stars’Credit: Dancing With The Stars/Instagram
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BBC Studios, which produces DWTS, suspended Chmerkovskiy on Saturday, saying, “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable.” The three-time champ said he was taking a step back in order to avoid being a “distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in.”
As a result, Chmerkovskiy’s partner Dewan danced with Alan Bersten, who was eliminated alongside his partner Giada De Laurentiis during week 2. For Dedication Night, Dewan and Bersten did a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” by the Righteous Brothers, which was dedicated to Dewan’s mother Nancy.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
