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Jenna Dewan blames ‘online noise’ for shocking ‘DWTS’ exit — as fans rail against dance partner Val Chmerkovskiy
Jenna Dewan said “online noise” may have affected her and Val Chmerkovskiy’s elimination from “Dancing With the Stars”, though she said they enjoyed their final performance. Chmerkovskiy said he had no regrets about their season, while fans online pointed to the controversy surrounding him as a possible factor in their departure.
Dewan, 45, had been expected by some fans to reach the finale because of her dance background. Chmerkovskiy, 40, was suspended for a week after a social media post referencing Will Smith’s Oscars slap, following a dispute between judge Carrie Ann Inaba and his wife, fellow professional Jenna Johnson. He later apologised, returned to the show and reconciled with Inaba; the remaining six couples are due to compete in next week’s semi-finals.
In short
- Jenna Dewan linked the exit to possible online noise.
- Val Chmerkovskiy said he had no regrets about the season.
- Fans cited controversy surrounding Chmerkovskiy as a factor.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy can reasonably argue that their elimination should be judged on the season’s performances rather than speculation about online reaction. Dewan said they enjoyed their final dance, and Chmerkovskiy expressed no regrets; a strong dance background may have raised expectations without guaranteeing a place in the finale.
The case against
Viewers can reasonably see online reaction to Chmerkovskiy’s suspension and the controversy surrounding his post as relevant to how the partnership was received. In a competition shaped by audience voting, that episode may have affected support for the couple, even though the report does not establish that it caused their elimination.