Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy have spoken out following their unexpected elimination from Dancing With the Stars, and Jenna’s comments about the controversy surrounding their season have caught viewers’ attention.

The pair were sent home during the show’s November 10 Grammy Night episode, despite delivering one of their strongest performances of the competition. Their jazz routine to Janet Jackson’s iconic hit All for You earned an impressive 28 out of 30 points from the judges. They also secured two bonus points after winning their dance-off against Tatyana Ali and professional partner Jan Ravnik. Despite finishing near the top of the leaderboard, their scores and audience votes were not enough to keep them in the competition.

Speaking to Extra after the results, Val admitted that the elimination was disappointing but insisted he had no regrets about their journey. He described the competition as incredibly challenging and said he would be cheering for the remaining couples from home.

Jenna, meanwhile, admitted she did not know exactly why they had been eliminated. However, she acknowledged that the pair had faced considerable online discussion throughout the season, adding that she would never know whether the negativity played a role in the result.

Val also shared a heartfelt tribute to Jenna on Instagram, thanking her for the opportunity to dance alongside her and describing her as everything he had hoped for in a partner.

The former dance partners made it clear that their friendship would continue beyond the ballroom, joking that they could still dance together without needing anyone’s votes.

With the semi-finals approaching, their unexpected departure remains one of the biggest talking points of Season 35.