Getty Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy
“Dancing With the Stars” professional dancer and recent father-to-be Val Chmerkovskiy recently made an incredibly nice gesture to the longtime fans of the series to show his appreciation for them and all of their support. Read on to find out what he did and how the fans reacted.
Val Said He Would Pay for 10 Disney Plus Yearly Subscriptions for Fans
In an Instagram story, Val announced that he would buy yearly Disney Plus subscriptions for 10 fans for whom the cost would be a hardship. The dancing competition series is moving to streaming service Disney Plus after 30 seasons of airing on ABC.
“I will pay for 10 (Ten) Disney Plus yearly subscriptions for fans that don’t have the means to do so right now. DM me when you started watching DWTS and I got you!” wrote Val.
“Entertainment Tonight’s” Desiree Murphy saw this and chimed in, “So kind of @valentin to be doing this. I will also pay for one fan’s subscription ahead of the new season. DM me your favorite @dancingwiththestars memory,” to which Val replied, “Thank you, Desiree, for this gesture!”
Later, Val wrote, “Been reading and replying to as many of you as I can. 1) Thank you for reaching out and sharing your stories. 2) I’ve contacted a few of you already, but it isn’t over yet.”
And when it was all done, he thanked all the fans for their years of supporting the show and what that has meant to him.
Val wrote:
OK done. Thank you for reaching out. Any sort of change is hard, especially when it puts a burden on your wallet. I’m sorry I couldn’t help everyone this time, but I appreciate all the beautiful stories of what this show means to you and how long it’s been a tradition in your home.
It’s all of you that have kept DWTS alive and in doing so changed my life, giving me the opportunity to change the lives of the people around me.
He finished by saying, “I am humbled by and grateful for that. And this is the least I can do to say thank you for the years of support.”
Fans Are Touched by His Gesture
On Reddit, fans were praising the dancer for this lovely gesture.
“That’s a pretty cool thing to do!” wrote one fan, and another added, “That’s so cool that he’s doing that!”
A third fan wrote, “That’s super nice of him. Say what you will of the Chmerkovskiy brothers, they have had their … moments … but overall, I think they’re both kind, decent people.”
And a fourth viewer declared that it sounds like Val will “for sure” be a part of the upcoming 31st season.
It remains to be seen if Val will return for season 31 because the pro lineup won’t be announced for a few more weeks, but it certainly seems like signs are pointing to his return. His wife Jenna Johnson, however, will be sitting this one out because she is pregnant and due in January 2023 with their first child.
One fan did wonder if the pros are getting nervous that no one will watch the show on Disney Plus, writing, “[T]his is a nice gesture. I do wonder if the pros are worried about this new season and change. Many of them are hyping it up, but there’s a lot of fans who are saying they can’t watch.”
“Dancing With the Stars” returns for its 31st season on Monday, September 19, on Disney Plus.
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