Guest judge Kym Johnson-Herjavec shed light on the vibe inside the Dancing With the Stars ballroom during Dedication Night after drama involving Carrie Ann Inaba and Val Chmerkovskiy.
“You know what? I went into it and everyone was very positive and we were there for Dedication Night,” the former DWTS pro told Us while attending the 2026 Dancers Against Cancer’s Gala of the Stars in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 22. “Everyone was like, ‘Let’s make this about the celebrities and who they’re dedicating the dance to,’ and Carrie Anne’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s what tonight is about.’ So it felt very joyous, and there was a lot of love in the ballroom that night.”
Johnson-Herjavec, 50, had a “great time” reuniting with Inaba, 58, and fellow judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
“I love all of them. I did it last year, I was a guest judge on Dedication Night. I love Carrie Ann, Derek and Bruno,” she told Us. “I go out to dinner with Bruno quite a lot. … I felt very welcome, so that was nice.”
Before the remaining season 35 couples hit the dance floor for Dedication Night on Tuesday, October 20, Us confirmed Chmerkovskiy, 40, would not be performing with his celeb partner, Jenna Dewan. Chmerkovskiy was suspended for the week after his controversial comment regarding Inaba’s criticism of his wife, Jenna Johnson, including a lift in her Super Bowl Night samba with partner Harry Shum Jr.
Chmerkovskiy publicly apologized for the post, later addressing the decision to step away from Dedication Night.
“The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in,” he wrote via his Instagram Story on Saturday, October 17. “Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
Dewan, 45, ultimately danced her Viennese waltz with Alan Bersten, earning her first 10 of the season from Inaba.
Despite the controversy — which was only subtly addressed during Tuesday’s episode — Johnson-Herjavec was glad to be part of such a meaningful night.
“If I was on my couch, I would have been sobbing, but I had to keep it together a little bit,” she told Us. “Although the first package with Ezra [Frech]’s mom, I was losing it at the desk, and then the dance … everyone was in tears.”
Johnson-Herjavec said she felt a “roller-coaster of emotions all night long,” teasing, “Then the Cat in the Hat dance [was] thrown in there for good measure.”
A two-time mirrorball trophy winner herself, Johnson-Herjavec has experience on both sides of the judges’ table — and she doesn’t fault Johnson, 32, for her reaction to Inaba’s lift criticism.
“The judges are there to do a job and they’re going to give their critique. I never spoke back, back in the old days. If Len [Goodman] said something, I’d be like, ‘OK.’ But you know, if you do a lift and you don’t think you do, I think it was fine for Jenna to be like, ‘A lift?’ because she was probably confused about what it was,” Johnson-Herjavec told Us. “I think she said it in a very nice way.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
