Pasha Pashkov is opening up about how the Dancing With the Stars cast moved forward amid Val Chmerkovskiy‘s suspension.
“You know what? This is the week where we had the right intention going into it,” Pashkov, 40, exclusively told Us following his Dedication Night performance with partner Amber Glenn on Tuesday, October 20. “It’s one of those weeks where we knew that [we had] all of the stories that everybody wanted to tell. It was so important for everybody.”
Pashkov continued, “We had to honestly lock in on our job here, you know, which was to have a great Dedication Week, to focus on the task at hand and make sure that this night that is so special every single season [remains] a special night. So that’s the only way to do it.”
When the season 35 cast hit the ballroom for Dedication Night, one pro was noticeably absent. Us confirmed on Saturday, October 17, that Chmerkovskiy, 40, would not be participating in Tuesday night’s episode following his controversial reaction to Carrie Ann Inaba‘s criticism of his wife Jenna Johnson‘s Super Bowl Night routine.
In a since-deleted social media post, Chmerkovskiy claimed, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” referring to Will Smith‘s now-infamous outburst at the 2022 Oscars. He quickly issued a public apology — both to fans and to Inaba, 58 — before BBC Studios announced his suspension.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing With the Stars is non-negotiable,” a spokesperson noted on Saturday. “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.”
Chmerkovskiy addressed the decision in a separate statement, noting he didn’t want to “become a distraction from an important week.” Fellow pro Alan Bersten stepped in to dance with Chmerkovskiy’s partner, Jenna Dewan.
The drama was only briefly addressed on Tuesday night, with cohost Alfonso Ribeiro telling the audience at the top of the show, “Val is not with us this week.”
Controversy aside, Pashkov and Glenn, 26, brought plenty of emotion to their contemporary routine dedicated to her sister, Brooke. The dance earned 38 out of 40 points — including Pashkov and Glenn’s first 10s of the season.
“I was just really happy to get the feedback that we did and have our hard work acknowledged, and that we were really able to tell a story this week,” Glenn told Us. “That’s really important to me, and I feel like we both really got into character because it is a story that is mine. Like, it’s what I went through. So to be able to not just express that with words, but to be able to express it through dance was something that was really special to me.”
Glenn said she was “thankful” to share the experience with her younger sister. “She really just helped me up when I was at my lowest, and I’ve been able to turn the favor many years later,” the Olympian added. “But now we’re best friends, and I couldn’t ask for a better friend than her.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
