Heavy/ABC Married DWTS pros Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson
Dancing pro Val Chmerkovskiy and his wife, Jenna Johnson, have competed against each other before on "Dancing With The Stars." But Chmerkovskiy admitted in a new interview that doing so on season 32, which premieres on September 26, 2023, could be more challenging for them than in the past.
The couple, who met on the show and married in 2019, became first-time parents to their son Rome in January. Johnson did not compete on season 31 due to her pregnancy, and Chmerkovskiy came in second place with his dancing partner, "The Bachelorette" star Gabby Windey.
Now both are back on the dance floor for the new season; they appeared on "Good Morning America" for the cast reveal, pairing up with their new partners. Chmerkovskiy, 37, will dance with actress Xochitl Gomez, who made her Marvel debut in 2022's "Doctor Strange in Multiverse of Madness," and Johnson, 29, is paired with supermodel Tyson Beckford.
With the stress and schedule-juggling that comes with parenting, Chmerkovskiy told Us Weekly that they hope to leave their work on the dance floor and just focus on their little family at the end of each day, but it could be easier said than done.
In a chat with Us Weekly published on September 16, Chmerkovskiy said, "We support each other, but we kind of vent to one another as well. So, it could be challenging."
He continued, "It's like you are living the stress of two couples because, obviously, we could have a great night and I'll be very happy, but if she and (Tyson) have a bad night, it's going to be a tough position to be celebrating in."
Though dancing has always been their shared passion, now that they're parents, they'll have to shift their priorities and focus some of that energy on little Rome, he said.
"(Parenting is) our common ground and we've talked about being better this season," Chmerkovskiy told Us Weekly. "Leaving work at work and making sure that when we get home, we are focused on our boy and just our life."
Johnson told People that juggling the show and parenting "is an adjustment for sure, but it's so rewarding." The first-time mom added that she loves being able to go home to Rome after a long day of dancing.
"Getting to come home to my sweet, chunky baby is just a dream," she said. "So I feel I truly have the best of both worlds right now. It's exhausting but it's so worth it."
It may not be too difficult to shift their focus to their baby once the couple gets home each day, given that Rome is going through so many milestones and is becoming one of their biggest fans.
"He's sitting up," Chmerkovskiy excitedly told Us Weekly. "That's a huge deal (because he's able to) hold that big head up."
In an August 14 Instagram post, Johnson also told fans they might notice Rome getting his first two bottom teeth.
Meanwhile, the little guy is also enamored by his parents' dancing, the proud dad told Us Weekly.
"We have this (bouncer) where he jumps in it, so we put on music (and) he loves to see us dance," he said. "He glows when we're moving around. These little things have been so fun, so precious."
"Dancing With The Stars" season 32 premieres with a 90-minute special on ABC and Disney+ on September 26.
