Gleb Savchenko Declares Himself "Team Val" Amid DWTS Controversy
Jenna Dewan's ‘DWTS’ Dedication Night Partner Revealed After Val Chmerkovskiy Suspension
Gleb Savchenko has waltzed into the drama.
After Val Chmerkovskiy was temporarily suspended from Dancing With the Stars over a comment aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba, his fellow dance pro didn’t hold back in sharing how he really feels about the controversy.
“She was just doing her job, creating a good TV moment. But, yeah, I’d say Team Val on this one,” Savchenko said in an Oct. 18 TikTok video. “I think there’s some bulls--t going on.”
ICYMI, Chmerkovskiy’s wife Jenna Johnson and her season 35 partner Harry Shum Jr. were called out during their Oct. 13 samba performance over what Inaba saw as an illegal lift in the routine. Seeing the confusion on Johnson and Shum’s faces, Inaba then pulled out a card with the definition of the dance move.
As for Savchenko's thoughts on the longtime judge’s flag?
“It wasn’t a lift. It was a trick that has been done by true dancers helping Harry. We’ve seen it many, many times. Jenna didn’t lift him, he didn’t lift Jenna,” he explained. “It wasn’t done in the couple, so I think it’s bulls--t.”
He continued, “It’s probably [because] Carrie Ann just had to say something, because she’s the lift police on Dancing With the Stars.”
However, the dancer, who most recently appeared on the show alongside Hilaria Baldwin, can admit that the Latin dance number, which Johnson and Shum performed on Super Bowl Night, wasn’t “like an OG samba.”
Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for GLAAD,Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios
“It was a bit flat-footed,” Savchenko noted, “it was like a hip-hop samba—but if I would be [a] judge instead of Carrie Ann, I would never, ever call out that lift.”
The moment of tension on the dance floor escalated when Chmerkovskiy—who tied the knot with Johnson in 2019—changed his TikTok status on Oct. 14 to read, "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” seemingly referencing Will Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slap.
Shortly after, the show announced he would be suspended for his choice of language.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” BBC Studios shared in an Oct. 17 statement obtained by E! News. “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.”
Disney/Andrew Eccles
In his absence, Alan Bersten will fill in to accompany Chmerkovskiy’s dance partner Jenna Dewan.
And while Savchenko may have Chmerkovskiy’s back, Dewan’s fiancé Steve Kazee will always have hers.
“Everytime I think I can’t love you more, your grace, your class, and your heart prove me wrong,” the Tony winner wrote on his Instagram Stories Oct. 18 over a photo of Dewan in her red and black DWTS costume from last week’s paso doble performance. “You got this baby! We got you.”
Keep reading for more about DWTS’ season 35 cast…
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
You won't hate this news—the 10 Things I Hate About You star will be saving the last dance for her pro partner.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Cha-cha-chopping away... The celebrity chef will be turning up the heat this season.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Twenty years after starring in Step Up, the dancer is stepping up to the challenge.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
The comedian, also known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn more applause on DWTS.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Ciara exclusively told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.