"It’s not personal" - DWTS's Val Chmerkovskiy speaks up on Sasha Farber's absence from the show

Val Chmerkovskiy is opening up about Sasha Farber's absence from season 34 of Dancing With the Stars.

After it was announced that Farber would not be returning as a pro for the forthcoming season, Chmerkovskiy, 39, spoke to Us Weekly on the red carpet of the MTV VMAs on Sunday, September 7, about the realities of the industry:

“It’s the nature of this business.” He admitted that “it’s personal for anybody who’s invested” in the show. “The way I’m speaking about Dancing with the Stars [is] the same way they feel about that sort of stuff,” he continued. He added, “So it definitely hurts,” noting that “breakups happen in life,” but the show must continue.

Sasha Farber acknowledges the wave of support and disappointment about his departure from DWTS: Read more

Cosmopolitan and Us Weekly have both reported that judge Carrie Ann Inaba confirmed that Sasha Farber would not be returning for the forthcoming season when she shared the pro lineup on her Instagram Stories. A wave of disappointment erupted, prompting Farber to respond to the support:

"Really, thank you so much!!! It’s going to be such a good season ❤️."

He then confirmed the news on his Instagram Stories himself:

"It is a beautiful day today. Guys, the Dancing With the Stars cast announcement was today. Wow, so many good names. 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 okay. Thank you all so much for all your incredible messages. I read them all, I see it all, I adore you," he added. "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."

Sasha Farber served as a professional dancer on the show from seasons 17, 22-24, and 26-33. He also performed on the dance troupe from seasons 13-16, 18-21, and 25. He reached the finals four times during his stint with his celebrity partners, but each time, the Mirrorball Trophy eluded him.

Parade has reported that Val Chmerkovskiy will be partnering up with Alix Earle, a social media influencer, for the upcoming season. The show premieres Tuesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. It will be available to stream on ABC and Disney+.

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