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Whitney Leavitt Reacts to Husband Conner Leavitt’s Elimination from Dancing With the Stars
Jenna Dewan scored major mom points for joining Dancing With the Stars.
The Step Up alum—mom to 13-year-old Everly Tatum with ex Channing Tatum—agreed to become a season 35 contestant in great part due to her eldest child being a super fan of the show.
"She was a huge reason why I was so excited to do this, because she loved the show so much. We came to the finale last year," Jenna exclusively told E! News' Will Marfuggi after the Sept. 16 premiere. "I received the offer, and I knew if I say this too loud, she's gonna freak out."
But after getting the call to join, Jenna couldn’t keep it a secret from Everly for long.
"I went to the corner of her room, and I saw her head go, 'Did you just get offered Dancing With the Stars?'" Jenna recounted. "She was like, 'Please, Mom, I love this.'"
It became even more special when Jenna debuted on the Sept. 16 premiere with pro Val Chmerkovskiy as Everly watched from the audience.
And while making her firstborn—followed by kids Callum, 6, and Rhiannon, 2, with fiancé Steve Kazee—proud onstage was Jenna's main objective for the evening, she also felt pressure as a professional dancer who has toured with Ricky Martin and Justin Timberlake to nail her routines in the ballroom.
"Of course, I feel some pressure for sure, and expectation to really bring it. But it's also mostly my own," she told E!. "I just wanted to live as much as I could live and feel as good as I could feel and give the best performance. So, the pressure really was more coming from that place."
Indeed, her partner Val admitted in their joint interview, "I don't want those sixes," referring to their opening scores. But he also noted that it was fair for the judges to review the actress' routines with a stricter lens because of her background.
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"Yes, it's a dance show, but it's also a human experience that people want to see growth," the choreographer shared. "They want to see participation. They want to see expansion of one's abilities, and and they want to see it in real time, live every single week."
As such, the season is filled with fierce competition as Jenna tries to out-dance her costars, including Glee's Harry Shum Jr. and Love Island's Maura Higgins, who both scored 21 out of 30 points, two of the season's highest scores thus far.
Read on for a look at the rest of the celebrity competitors.
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Julia Stiles & Ezra Sosa
You won't hate this news—the 10 Things I Hate About You star will be saving the last dance for her pro partner.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Cha-cha-chopping away... The celebrity chef will be turning up the heat this season.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
What did you miss on Glee? The actor taking his musical talents to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Taylor Hanson & Britt Stewart
The former '90s teen heartthrob will hope to MMMBop his way to the top of the leaderboard on season 35.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Tatyana Ali & Jan Ravnik
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress will be bringing her fresh moves to the dance floor.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Twenty years after starring in Step Up, the dancer is stepping up to the challenge.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Amber Glenn & Pasha Pashkov
The 2026 Olympic figure skater will take her skills from the ice to the ballroom.
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Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
The Team USA Paralympic track and field athlete will show off his athleticism on DWTS.
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Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
After sister Brooks Nader competed on season 33, the Love Thy Nader star is trying her hand.
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Connor Wood & Rylee Arnold
The comedian, also known as Fibula on social media, is ready to earn more applause on DWTS.
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Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star is following in the footsteps of wife Whitney Leavitt—who competed on season 34.
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Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
The Bachelor Nation star is trading in roses for rumbas.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Jackson Olson & Emma Slater
The Savannah Bananas baseball player is stepping up to the plate, bringing his dance moves from the diamond to the ballroom.
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Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
The Jimmy Kimmel Live! star is ready to learn some new moves.
Disney/Andrew Eccles
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
The Summer House star is prepping for her turn in the ballrom.
"Looks are not indicative of being in shape," Ciara exclusively told E! News in June. "I do huff and puff going up the stairs, so I gotta get back into the gym and work on my stamina."
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Maura Higgins & Mark Ballas
The Love Island UK alum is hoping her love for DWTS doesn't betray her as she manifested this experience.
"I have a vision board and I redo it every year," she told E! News in May. "This year is the first year that I stayed at home by myself on New Year's Eve. I did not go out at all. I made myself a bowl of pasta and a glass of red wine and I redid my vision board for the year. Dancing With the Stars was already on it from the year before. However, I added five more Dancing With the Stars on the board."
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