Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson may compete against each other on Dancing With The Stars, but they’re much closer than just two opponents. The pair have been married since 2019, and they clearly have a very special bond. While Jenna was eliminated early in Season 32 with her partner Tyson Beckford, Val has made it to the finale with his partner Xochitl Gomez.
It’s clear that Jenna will be cheering Val on as he competes in the season 32 DWTS finale. Before he and Xochitl take the stage, find out more about his relationship with his life partner: Jenna.
Val & Jenna Meet While on ‘DWTS’
While both Jenna and Val had been pro dancers for a long time, their paths didn’t cross until 2014 when Jenna joined as a troupe dancer on season 18 of DWTS. Val had made appearances on the show since season 2 and he was cast as a pro beginning in season 13 in 2011.
Val & Jenna Start Dating
It’s not totally clear when exactly Val and Jenna first started dating, but it was at one point in 2015. The pair didn’t go public with their relationship February of the following year, when they were spotted on a romantic outing in West Hollywood, per People.
Val & Jenna Briefly Breakup
While things have certainly worked out for the pair, Val and Jenna did split up in 2016. Season 23 of DWTS was going on, and Val briefly dated Amber Rose, who was appearing on the show, with Val’s brother Maks Chmerkovskiy as her partner, via The Knot. Amber and Val split up after five months in early 2017.
They Reunite in Europe
A few months after Val and Amber split up, it was revealed that the dancer and Jenna had gotten back together when they took a romantic vacation to Italy in June 2017. They each shared photos from their trip, and there were quite a few hints that they’d reunited. Val posted a photo of Jenna and his shadows, where she was kissing his cheek. Jenna shared a photo of herself holding a hand, which was likely Val’s.
After getting back together, the couple also went to Val’s brother Maks’ wedding to Peta Murgatroyd. Jenna shared an adorable photo of herself and Val with the bride and groom, taken in the photobooth. She also shared congratulations for the then-newlyweds.
Jenna Returns to ‘DWTS’
Shortly after rekindling her spark with Val, Jenna made her return for season 25 of DWTS, after sitting out season 24. The following year she also became a pro for the second time. During the season 25 finale, the pair also did a romantic dance to Kelsea Ballerini’s “Legends,” and they closed out their dance by smooching each other on the show. It was a truly beautiful moment.
They Get Engaged After 3 Years
After first getting together in 2015, Val popped the question to Jenna in June 2018. She posted an adorable photo of her reaction to seeing her fiancé down one knee on X (formerly Twitter). “#ENGAGED,” she wrote along with tagging Val. The Ukrainian dancer opened up about how happy he was in a statement to People. “My life has changed because of her,” he said. “I find myself to be the best version of myself that I’ve ever been. She’s awesome.”
The pair shared their engagement photos in November 2018. Before getting married, the couple also took part in the Dancing With The Stars: Live! tour. During the performances, the pair shared the stage and danced to quite a few numbers together.
Val & Jenna Get Married
The couple tied the knot in April 2019 in a romantic oceanfront ceremony at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Their fellow DWTS pros and some of their past dance partners joined them for their special day, and they looked over-the-moon. After exchanging their “I do’s,” the two of them went on a romantic honeymoon to St. Lucia.
Jenna Gives Birth to Their First Baby Boy
In July 2022, Jenna and Val shared the exciting news that she was pregnant and expecting their first child together. “I couldn’t believe it because it wasn’t an easy journey for us to get pregnant. But everybody tells you, ‘When you just relax and you don’t put the stress on yourself, it happens for you.’ That’s exactly what happened,” she told People in a statement. “Our little baby was created with a lot of love. It all seems so magical and meant to be.”
In January 2023, the couple announced that Jenna had given birth to their baby boy Rome Valentin. Jenna posted a sweet photo of her son holding her finger. “Our world is forever changed,” she wrote, along with her son’s January 10th birthday.