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Twenty years ago, Jenna Dewan had just landed her break-out Hollywood role in the dance drama Step Up after spending years as a backup dancer.
But as the actress commemorated the anniversary of the film that 'changed [her] life' last week, it was announced that Dewan, 45, would be returning to the stage on the new season of Dancing with the Stars alongside pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy.
'I am just so happy to be dancing again… after 20 years I'm really going to have to Step (it) Up,' she wrote on Instagram.
But not everyone apparently shares her excitement. Dewan has faced fierce backlash and accusations of having an 'unfair' advantage on the show, which pairs amateur celebrity dancers with ballroom professionals, due to her dance background.
The Daily Mail has learned that whispers are also circulating behind the scenes about the season's overall casting, which includes Save the Last Dance star Julia Stiles, The Bachelor's Tyler Cameron, who competed in 2022's The Real Dirty Dancing, and Harry Shum Jr, who starred on Glee and previously toured as a dancer.
'The cast is definitely whispering about how unfair some of the casting is, especially with Jenna being a former dancer and others having dance experience,' a source told the Daily Mail.
Jenna Dewan received backlash from fans after it was announced this week that she would be joining the season 35 cast of Dancing with the Stars. The Daily Mail has learned from sources that the cast also feels it's 'unfair' to have hers and others with dance experience on the show
Dewan, 45, was a backup dancer in her early career and starred in 2006's Step Up as Nora Clark, a talented ballet dancer, alongside her ex Channing Tatum
In the early 2000s, Dewan was a backup dancer and toured for some of the biggest artists in the world, including Janet Jackson, Christina Aguilera, Pink and Missy Elliott. Then, in 2006, she starred as the talented ballerina Nora Clark in Step Up alongside her now ex-husband Channing Tatum.
'Everyone thinks Jenna Dewan has a very unfair advantage because she is a professional dancer. That is how she began her career,' another source said.
'It's like, "Duh, we all know she's going to win."'
Dewan, for her part, addressed the fierce backlash, telling Entertainment Tonight: 'I do not know how to ballroom dance. Let's be clear. It's two different languages. There's parts of my dance training that's helpful, obviously. I've learned choreography, I can perform, but there is a certain sense of unlearning for me.'
Partnered with three-time Mirrorball trophy winner Chmerkovskiy, 40, the first source said that 'Val is feeling a lot of pressure to showcase Jenna's skills.'
'He's always set on winning but, this season, he believes he has a chance again with Jenna as his partner. He's not going to go easy on her, that's for sure,' they added.
Chmerkovskiy told People that he is 'not naive' to people's expectations for him and his partner: 'The world is going to have an opinion, and that's fine and [that's] their right, but we can also just enjoy each other and do our best and live in that gratitude.'
Our source also said that Dewan is 'good friends' with one of the judges, Derek Hough, adding that some contestants are worried their friendship will give her an advantage.
'She is more or less besties with Derek. They worked together on Jennifer Lopez's competition show World Of Dance and they did a special ABC movie in 2022, Step Into…The Movies with Derek and Julianne Hough,' the source continued.
But Dewan isn't the only celebrity casting for season 35 that has ruffled feathers, according to the source.
'There are issues with Tatyana [Ali] being on the show,' they said. 'She is very close to the show's co-host Alfonso Ribeiro because they were co-stars and played siblings in The Fresh Prince, so there is a massive bond there.'
A source told the Daily Mail that Dewan's partner, Val Chmerkovskiy is 'not going to go easy on her' and that he there's 'a lot of pressure to showcase Jenna's skills'
Tatyana Ali's casting is raising some eyebrows among the cast, according to a source, due to her connection with DWTS co-host Alfonso Ribeiro (pictured in June 2024 at a Zumba class)
Ribeiro and Ali starred together on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with Will Smith. The source said, 'They can compare notes and he can talk her up. Having that connection will help her'
Ali, 47, starred as Ashley Banks in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1990s alongside Ribeiro, who played her brother Carlton Banks.
'They can compare notes and he can talk her up,' the source added. 'Having that connection will help her.'
When asked about the possible advantage following the cast reveal on September 2, Ali, who is partnered with pro January Ravnik, told Us Weekly: 'I haven't even really thought about it in that way. I'm excited to be on stage with him... The last time I worked with him I was 17 years old.'
Meanwhile, there is allegedly 'some eyerolling' behind the scenes at celebrities who are set to become 'fan favorites.'
'There's some eyerolling going on because there are partners who they know are already going to be fan favorites: Ciara [Miller] after what she went through with Amanda [Batula] and West [Wilson] on Summer House, Maura [Higgins] since people felt bad Rob [Rausch] robbed her from winning The Traitors.'
The source also highlighted other possible fan favorites such as Ezra Frech, an American track and field athlete who won two gold medals at the 2024 Summer Paralympics, and 'handsome' Tyler Cameron, who one source said is 'the babe this season.'
Other celebrities to star on the show include Olympic gold medalist Amber Glenn, Taylor Hanson of the '90s band Hanson, Jackson Olson of the Savannah Bananas baseball team, Guillermo Rodriguez from Jimmy Kimmel Live and TikTok star and comedian Connor Wood.
In addition, reality star Sarah Jane Nader, joined the competition two seasons after her sister Brooks competed. Nader, 24, is in a same-sex dance partnership with new pro Hailey Bills, 20.
There's allegedly 'some eyerolling' going on behind-the-scenes with celebrities who are set to become 'fan favorites,' including Tyler Cameron and Ciara Miller, per the source
The source said fans will take a liking to Maura Higgins, who is partnered with her The Traitors' co-star Mark Ballas, since she was blindsided during the show's finale
Meanwhile, another new pro, Adele Zaikman - the 24-year-old who won the inaugural season of Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro - is partnered with Conner Leavitt, husband of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt who appeared on the dance competition series last season.
But there's one pro who will be noticeably absent: longtime DWTS dancer Gleb Savchenko, who was cut after 12 seasons.
'By next season, we might see new pros,' a source said. 'They are testing Adele and Hailey this season to see if the audience likes them.'
'They also brought back Sharna [Burgess, after five years] to see if there is more interest in former pros versus newer pros,' they added.
The source noted that producers want to make season 35, which premieres on September 15 on ABC and Disney+, 'one of the best seasons yet.'
'They strategically cast certain people because they want it to be a big competition.
'They've stressed this to the pros to bring their A-game and to bring competition,' the source said. 'In fact, they prefer to have less drama this season and more competitiveness.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Dancing with the Stars and Dewan for comment.
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