Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson’s son, Rome, got a glimpse of more than just a sweet kiss from Mommy to Santa Claus while on the set of Dancing With the Stars.
The two-year-old child made his first television dance appearance on the ABC special Dancing With the Holidays on December 2nd. He danced with his parents to the song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”
The performance opened with Rome, dressed in a white shirt and burgundy vest and pants, seated on a velvet couch with his parents. When the familiar Christmas song started, his parents began to dance.
The usual ended with Jenna carrying Rome while Val re-entered the room dressed as Santa Claus. They were then surprised by Dancing with the Stars hosts Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, and Rome was fascinated by their microphone.
“Want to say hello?” Julianne asked the little child, who grabbed the microphone and sweetly said, “What’s up?”
While Jenna was talking about her family’s holiday plans – which included bringing her son, Rome, on the Dancing With the Stars tour – he grabbed the microphone and adorably wished everyone a “Merry Christmas!”
The professional dancer is thrilled Rome is joining her on tour. She’s been finding it difficult to juggle her career with spending time with her family, and this makes things much easier.
In a recent Instagram post from 2024, she shared that becoming a mother – something she always wanted – led her to feel like she’d lost touch with her artistic side. She explained she often struggled with guilt, wanting to be a great mom while also needing to feel creatively satisfied as a performer.
Jenna explained that she didn’t feel she could fully enjoy her career and relationship until her partner, Rome, began accompanying her on tour in 2024.
It’s been exhausting, but it’s also made me incredibly happy – it actually makes me emotional when I think about it. I’ve learned that you really can balance everything.
Jenna admits it takes a lot of effort and can be tiring, but being there for your baby – and taking care of yourself – is incredibly fulfilling.
Jenna and Val aren’t the only couples who found romance on Dancing with the Stars. Here’s a look at all the relationships that blossomed off the show…
The season 33 partners dated for about seven months between 2024 and spring 2025.
Showmance or Real Deal: Real deal.
During the final performance of the 2025 “Dancing with the Stars” tour in April, two of the professional dancers shared a kiss onstage while performing their closing duet, seemingly confirming months of speculation about a romantic relationship.
Are they a couple for show or are they genuinely in love? Their coworker, Ezra Sosa, seemed to confirm it’s the latter, enthusiastically responding “FINALLY” to a fan video of them kissing.
Fans began speculating about a possible romance between the former Bachelorette and the Jersey Shore star when they competed on season 31 of a show together. Their playful interactions on social media and vague answers to questions about their relationship fueled the rumors.
Gabby shared with TopMob News in December 2022 that she quickly became friends with her fellow contestants on Dancing with the Stars. She said they connected because they have similar senses of humor. During the competition, Gabby was very focused on winning and didn’t have much time for anything else. Now that the show is over, even though they live far apart, they’re enjoying getting to know each other and are looking forward to seeing what the future holds.
Despite initial speculation, Gabby and her Bachelor co-star never became a couple. She later began dating comedian and writer Robby Hoffman in August 2023, and they married in January 2025.
After finishing fifth on season 31 of the dance competition, the pair publicly announced they were dating on Valentine’s Day 2023. The actor, known for their role in CODA, shared a selfie with the choreographer and wrote, “My Valentine. Happy Valentine’s Day!”
Britt and Daniel got engaged in December 2023 and were married in August 2025, with several professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars in attendance.
Showmance or Real Deal: Real deal.
Emma and Hayes Grier connected during the “Switch Up” week of season 21, and Alek even told her she was “so hot.” Despite their connection, Emma revealed after she was eliminated from the show that they hadn’t actually gone on a date yet, leaving the possibility open with a simple, “We’ll see.”
Alek seemed genuinely interested in Emma – he’d blush and avoid answering questions about his feelings, simply telling reporters “no comment!” However, Emma quickly moved on after her appearance with Skarlatos in 2015, suggesting any connection with Alek wasn’t very serious.
The professional dancer and former contestant on The Bachelorette sparked a romance while competing on season 33 of Dancing with the Stars in 2024. But their connection didn’t last, and they split up in June 2025 after Jenn moved back to Miami to complete her graduate studies.
Showmance or Real Deal: Unconfirmed.
These two began dating on and off in 2011, and got engaged on live television in October 2016. They married in March 2018, but TopMob News reported in August 2022 that they were divorcing after four years of marriage.
Were they a ‘showmance’ or genuinely in love? Whatever the truth, they stayed friends and continued to work together respectfully even after they broke up.
It’s actually a really positive situation,” Emma shared with TopMob News. “We’re a strong support system for each other, and I genuinely want Sasha to succeed. We truly have each other’s backs.”
Val and Jenna began dating in 2015, before Jenna became a professional dancer. They got engaged in June 2018 and married in April 2019. In July 2022, they shared the exciting news that they were expecting a baby. Their son, Rome Valentin, was born in January 2023.
“Life is great,” Val shared with TopMob News in May 2023. He said becoming a father has “absolutely increased my happiness, both for life in general and for my family.” He also enjoys the daily learning experience of fatherhood.
Showmance or Real Deal? Real deal, y’all!
In December 2020, TopMob News reported that the star of Selling Sunset was dating a professional dancer from Dancing With the Stars. They had both been contestants on season 29 of the show, but competed as individuals.
After dating for two months, TopMob News reported that the couple had broken up. A source close to one of them said they enjoyed their time together, but ultimately decided to go their separate ways. The split was amicable, and there was no drama – they simply weren’t a good match at that time.
Chrishell has since found love with partner G Flip.
Showmance or Real Deal: We’re calling Chrishell and Keo’s romance the real deal.
Throughout the seventh season of their show in 2017, Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev remained just friends. However, after Nikki ended her relationship with John Cena in 2018, they reconnected romantically. Nikki publicly confirmed they were dating in May 2019, and they became engaged later that same year.
The WWE Hall of Famer discovered she was pregnant shortly after getting engaged in Paris, and in 2020, they welcomed their son, Matteo Artemovich Chigvintsev.
Unfortunately, Nikki and Artem have ended their relationship. Nikki filed for divorce in September 2024, just two weeks after Artem was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. However, the District Attorney’s office decided not to press charges after carefully reviewing the investigation and all available evidence.
Nikki and Artem finalized their divorce in November 2024. As part of the settlement, they both withdrew the restraining orders they had filed against each other, hoping to peacefully co-parent their son and move forward.
Showmance or Real Deal? Real deal.
Throughout season 27, ModelAlexis and professional football player Alan developed a strong connection, and Ren openly admitted she was attracted to him. At the time, sources told TopMob News that they seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time together and were exploring a potential relationship.
Were they a real couple or just putting on a show? Sadly, it seems like it was mostly for the cameras. Several sources reported they broke up in December 2018, citing the difficulties of a long-distance relationship and busy schedules.
The professional dancers began dating in 2012 and got engaged on December 5, 2015, when Maks proposed on stage at a dance event in Miami. They married in a beautiful ceremony in July 2017, six months after their first son, Shai, was born. They later expanded their family with Rio, born in June 2023, and their third son, Milan, in July 2024.
Showmance or Real Deal: A match made in DWTS heaven!
Sabrina and Mark started dating during the fifth season of the show, but they split up a few months after unexpectedly leaving. Despite the breakup, they stayed on good terms, and Sabrina, known from The Cheetah Girls, even came back to support Mark when he competed the following season.
Showmance or Real Deal: Real deal.
Interestingly, they’d actually gone on a few dates before he joined the show. Although they publicly denied being a couple during season eighteen, they still seemed to enjoy flirting and building a connection while performing together.
Showmance or Real Deal: Total showmance.
Following his separation announcement from his wife of 14 years, Diane Plese, reports confirmed to TopMob News that Kevin O’Leary, known from Shark Tank, was dating his season 20 dance partner, Kym Johnson, and that the two were very happy together.
Robert and Kym initially didn’t reveal much about their relationship, but they soon became more open. They got engaged in February 2016, married just a few months later in June, and then welcomed twins in April 2018.
Showmance or Real Deal: Very, very, very real.
I was so invested when Karina and Mario got together on season three – they seemed like a perfect match! They dated for two years, and I really thought they’d last, but sadly they broke up in 2008. I remember reading that Karina’s team said things just weren’t working out, and there were whispers about Mario being unfaithful, which was really disappointing to hear.
Showmance or Real Deal: Real deal.
The dancers got engaged after only six months of dating in 2009, not long after she ended her relationship with Mario Lopez. Unfortunately, they broke off the engagement later that year, but they stayed friends and continued to enjoy trips together.
Showmance or Real Deal: Real deal.
Married since 2014, the pros announced the arrival of their daughter Nikita in May 2023.
Daniella announced the joyful news on Instagram Stories with a sweet photo and video of Pasha and Nikita. She captioned the video “daddy’s girl” and the photo “My Geminis.”
Showmance or Real Deal: Real deal, baby!
I was totally rooting for Derek and Shannon after seeing their amazing connection on season six! They actually dated for almost a year, which was so exciting. Even their breakup was surprisingly classy – they announced it together on Twitter! Derek tweeted that they’d decided to end things as a couple, and then Shannon followed up saying they still loved and cared for each other and would stay friends. It was a really mature way to handle it, and honestly, it still makes me sad thinking about it!
Derek is now married to his dance partner Hayley Erbert.
Showmance or Real Deal: Real deal.
Despite rumors of a romantic connection during season 18, a source at TopMob News stated that the winning couple were simply friends.
Showmance or Real Deal: This time, ’twas a showmance.
Although they weren’t officially a couple, he definitely tried to win over his dance partner during season 10, showering her with expensive gifts like a diamond necklace and a ring, which she later returned. Cheryl later described it to Wendy Williams as a brief, playful romance – “just a little flirtation,” she said.
Showmance or Real Deal: Showmance!
Throughout season 10 of Dancing with the Stars, fans speculated about a romantic connection between two particular partners, and they didn’t do much to discourage the rumors. In fact, they even playfully pretended to kiss during one of their final performances! The flirty dynamic continued years later when Erin became a co-host on the show.
Erin is now married to former NHL centre Jarret Stoll. They welcomed son Mack in July 2023.
Showmance or Real Deal: We’re calling those Erin and Maks rumors a showmance.
Despite widespread rumors of a romance during season 17, the Pretty Little Liars actor consistently maintained he wasn’t dating Peta.
Showmance or Real Deal: Showmance!
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2025-12-03 07:18