Steve Kazee is officially shutting down viral social media commentary surrounding his fiancée Jenna Dewan’s working relationship with her Dancing with the Stars professional partner, Val Chmerkovskiy.
Following Tuesday’s live broadcast on October 6—which saw Dewan and Chmerkovskiy perform a emotional Rumba set to Mariah Carey’s “My All”—online observers began dissecting post-routine footage on Instagram and TikTok. Viewers highlighted moments where Dewan rested her leg against Chmerkovskiy or placed her hand on his knee while awaiting judge scores, prompting unfounded commentary regarding their physical intimacy.
When pop culture account @stephwithdadeets posted a breakdown video questioning the duo’s dynamic, Kazee—who has been engaged to Dewan since 2020—stepped directly into the comment section to address critics.
“They don’t have chemistry. They have too much chemistry. They have chemistry in the wrong places. Make up your minds. Ya’all really got too much time on your hands. The spouses are unbothered, stay hatin’,” Kazee wrote.
The Tony Award-winning actor closed his response with a protective nod to his partner, correcting common mispronunciations of her surname: “Also put respect on my queen’s name and at least pronounce her name correctly when you try to slander her.”
The discourse also caught the attention of Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba, who chimed in to defend the professional boundaries of competitive dancers. Pointing out that physical expression is intrinsic to performance art, Inaba urged viewers to refrain from manufacturing controversy around married professionals. Chmerkovskiy has been married to fellow DWTS professional dancer Jenna Johnson since 2019.
“Dancers are physical beings. This is like the way we say hello. Don’t try to turn it into something it is not. Have some respect for both Jenna and Val and their partners please,” Inaba stated in a public comment.
Dewan and Kazee, who share two children together alongside Dewan’s eldest daughter Everly with ex-husband Channing Tatum, have consistently maintained a united front against public scrutiny. With both Kazee and Johnson offering explicit support from the sidelines, the ballroom veterans remain focused on the competition.
