“The Snub That Shook the Ballroom”: DWTS’ Val Chmerkovskiy Breaks Silence on Sasha Farber’s Shock Dismissal, Insisting ‘It’s Not Personal’ While Backstage Tensions Explode and Fans Demand Answers
Fans may still be fuming that Sasha Farber wasn’t asked back as a pro on Season 34 of Dancing With the Stars, but another pro is now speaking out about his “axe,” sharing it wasn’t something done against him specifically.
Farber, a longtime pro on the ABC show who has yet to win a Mirrorball Trophy, was officially confirmed not to be a part of the upcoming season’s cast when he wasn’t announced during the cast reveal on Good Morning America.
Since then, though Farber himself has spoken out and even promised fans the season would still be an ‘epic’ one, many have threatened to boycott over his not being included.
Now, Val Chmerkovskiy, who is returning for his 21st season as a pro alongside social media influencer Alix Earle, has weighed in on the controversy.
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Speaking to Us Weekly while attending the MTV VMAs, the three-time Mirrorball champ shared that Farber and other pros not being asked back is “nothing personal.”
“It’s not personal,” he said. “It’s the nature of this business.”
“Now, it’s personal for anybody who’s invested,” he said. “The way I’m speaking about Dancing with the Stars is the same way they feel about that sort of stuff. So it definitely hurts, but it's, you know, breakups happen in life.”
Farber wasn’t the only name missing from the Season 34 roster. For the second year in a row, Chmerkovskiy’s sister-in-law, Peta Murgatroyd, was also not announced as a returning pro. Lindsay Arnold is also sitting out another season after stepping away from the show to focus on her family, and Sharna Burgess is also not returning.
Mark Ballas was announced to be returning after last appearing during the show’s 31st season, while Jan Ravnik was announced as a new pro.
Overall, pros can be cut from the roster for a number of reasons. While some, like Artem Chigvintsev, were outright fired from the show, others stepped away on their own for various reasons and came back at different points. In addition, pros can sit a season out if there isn’t a celebrity to partner with them.
Farber was on the bubble for Season 33 and almost cut then, before then - Bachelorette Jenn Tran was announced to be part of the cast.
Following the confirmation that he wasn’t in the cast, Farber took to TiKTok to comment on his absence. He thanked his fans for their support and still encouraged them to watch and vote for others competing.
“It is a beautiful day today. Guys, the Dancing With the Stars cast announcement was today. Wow, so many good names,” he said. “Who are you going to vote for? I mean, I know who I’m going to vote for. I know who you’re not going to vote for–that’s me. But that’s OK.”
“Thank you all so much for all your incredible messages. I read them all, I see it all, I adore you,” he continued. “I definitely don’t deserve you because you guys are amazing. I love you. Thank you so much.”
“This is going to be quite the season…who’s gonna win? Anyone could win, This is going to be great and I can’t wait to cheer, Love you all,” he concluded.
Dancing With the Stars season 34 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 16 on ABC and Disney+.
Heartbreaking news about Shamea Morton's daughter Shiloh has been confirmed please pray for her
“Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Shamea Morton shared a promising update after her newborn daughter had to undergo surgery for breathing issues.
“Hey Bestfriends! I have a praise report! Shiloh’s 1st surgery went well @childrensatl ,” Morton captioned an Instagram Reel of her and her husband Gerald Mwangi’s baby girl in the hospital Thursday.
The Bravolebrity, 40, then went on to tag the “amazing” doctor who has been helping her family through this tough time.
“I just thank God for her,” she continued. “She drilled through the tissue and bone that was completely blocking her nasal passages! Shiloh now has stents in her nose but she’s been extubated (no more tubes in her throat). She now has a nasal cannula and she’s in her mommy’s arms! .”
“Giving God the praise for this victory! We will know how successful it was once the stents are removed,” Morton concluded.
Several of the reality star’s “RHOA” co-stars sent love in the comments section of her post.
Cynthia Bailey wrote, “praise God!!!,” while Kenya Moore added, “Told you!!!! .”
Sheree Whitfield, meanwhile, commented, “God is good .”
Morton’s update comes a week after she announced the arrival of her and Mwangi’s second child via surrogacy. At the time, the former professional dancer said their baby girl was born prematurely on Valentine’s Day, weighing 6 pounds and 8 ounces.
Moments after her birth, Morton said Shiloh began having trouble breathing and had to “be put on 100% oxygen.”
“A few hours later she was intubated and placed on a ventilator,” she added. “That’s where we are now. I’ve been a mess, heart palpitations, anxiety etc…but Shiloh is a fighter.”
Morton and Mwangi, 60, tied the knot in July 2017 and welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Shya, in November 2018.
“I’m officially a MOM!” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “I have a whole new respect for women and our bodies. Childbirth is nothing short of a miracle. I feel so blessed to have had this experience.”
