Things You Might Not Know About Val Chmerkovskiy And Jenna Johnson’s Relationship
Published on June 20, 2018. Updated April 7, 2020Dancing With the Stars is one show that has sparked a lot of real-life relationships. Dancing is intimate, emotional, exhausting and often sexy, all of which creates a lot of emotions between the two partners and it is easy to see how relationships are formed. Beloved Dancing With the Stars‘ pros Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson are one of the cutest couples to come out of the show and with a wedding now on the way, fans can’t get enough of the talented duo! Get to know more about the couple and their love story with these 12 things you didn’t know about Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson’s relationship:
12. How They Met
In no surprise to Dancing With the Stars fans, Chmerkovskiy and Johnson were introduced when Johnson joined Dancing With the Stars as a troupe member in 2014 after finding fame on So You Think You Can Dance. A romance wasn’t sparked right away, but in the year leading up to Jenna’s promotion to a full-time pro in 2016 for season 23, it seems the two became quite close. The couple kept their romance private for quite some time before they were spotted on a date in February 2016.
Photo by John Photography/REX/Shutterstock11. The Break
Just as Dancing With the Stars fans were getting into a frenzy over the new relationship, it came to an end. While the two never commented on the status of their relationship, it was clear they had split when Val began dating Amber Rose who had competed with his brother, Maksim, on season 23 of Dancing With the Stars in the fall of 2016. Just as things seemed to be getting pretty serious between Val and Amber, the pair abruptly split in February of 2017, and it didn’t take long before rumors swirled that Johnson and Chmerkovskiy had reconciled. In the summer of 2017, Chmerkovskiy confirmed the relationship was back on and more serious than ever after he served as the best man in his brother’s wedding to fellow dancer Peta Murgatroyd, and he said he was “in love.” “Is that what it’s called, the wedding bug? Or have I gained a different perspective on, you know, what love is and what happiness is?” he shared. “You know, I’m in a great place and I’m in love, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com10. Jealousy
Although both Jenna and Val have been dancing nearly their entire lives, he admitted that he can’t help but get jealous when he sees her dancing intimately with another man even though he knows it is her job. “The type of person I am, I mean, I’m fairly jealous. I mean, look, I have all these emotions, you know,” he revealed in an interview, adding that “it’s hard” to watch. “I’m not perfect,” he continued. “But I have to check myself and be fair and say, like … how can I hold this against her if I’m in the same situation? And I would never want to compromise my artistry, you know, because I wouldn’t want to make my significant other feel uncomfortable.” In his memoir I’ll Never Change My Name, Chmerkovskiy revealed that he isn’t the only one who gets jealous though. “My girl can get very jealous, but she’s a lot better about it than I am. Jenna loves me more than she’s jealous, way more. So maybe reason isn’t the driving force, maybe it’s simply pure, unconditional love. She challenges me to rise to that same level,” he wrote.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)9. Private vs. Public
For a while, it was hard to determine the status of Chmerkovskiy and Johnson’s relationship because they would go back and forth from putting it in the public eye, and he revealed it has been difficult reconciling the fact that fans and strangers are going to be invested in their relationship. “I’ll be honest, I’m just tired of fighting this because I realize that people and Hollywood are obsessed with romance and love stories,” he told PEOPLE about why he and Johnson went more open about their relationship now, especially on social media. “I feel like it’s private. It should remain private but, at the same time, I understand I can’t be a hypocrite. I’m on Instagram kind of sharing our vacations and my love for her constantly.”
(Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for Sandals)8. Age Difference
While they have never commented on their age gap, many fans speculated that the couple didn’t work out in the beginning because of their eight-year age difference. When the pair first met Johnson was only 20 and Chmerkovskiy was approaching his 30s, but it doesn’t matter to the pair now and Chmerkovskiy can’t stop gushing about his gorgeous bride-to-be. “My life has changed because of [her,] and I find myself to be the best version of myself that I’ve ever been. She’s awesome,” he sweetly said.
(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)7. The Engagement
After reconciling their relationship in 2017, it didn’t take long for the pair to start teasing about marriage in interviews in early 2018, and in mid-June 2018 he finally popped the question while the pair were on a trip to Italy. “When I was 17, I visited Venice for the first time and thought it was the most romantic place in the world. I promised myself then that the next time I would come back to Venice was to propose to the woman I’d want to spend the rest of my life with,” he explained as to why he chose there to propose. “Fifteen years later I kept my word. It was perfect.” Only one month before, Johnson joked with Entertainment Tonight about when an engagement would happen, admitting they had talked about it, but had no idea how soon it was coming. “Time’s a-ticking!” She said. “We’ll see [if engagement is in the cards anytime soon]. We both have very big things happening right now, so we’ll let that ride over… maybe we’ll go to Fiji!”
(Photo by Jessica Sigmon Wallace/Getty Images)6. The Ring
When Val Chmerkovskiy decided it was time to propose, he made sure the ring was everything that Jenna would want. Val designed the ring himself along with Jacob Arabo of Jacob & Co., opting for a large rectangular cushion-cut diamond complemented by a diamond halo and a pave diamond band. “Val came to us once he knew he was ready to pop the question and we walked him through the process and helped him design an incredible engagement ring for Jenna,” a rep for Jacob & Co. revealed, adding that the creation of the ring took about a month.
(Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)5. The One
Those who have been fans of Val Chmerkovskiy ever since he joined Dancing With the Stars know that family is everything to him and that is how he knew that Johnson was “the one.” “I knew Jenna was the one when I saw how close she is with her family and how she interacts with her nieces and nephews,” he shared in an interview. “Family is everything to me and I can’t wait for us to build one together.” Upon announcing their engagement, Johnson said Val was “the one” from the beginning. “I knew the moment I met you, you were the man of my dreams and I wanted to be with you forever,” she wrote.
photo: Craig Sjodin / ©ABC / Courtesy Everett Collection4. Biggest Fans
With a huge audience tuning into Dancing With the Stars for over 25 seasons, it is well known that Chmerkovskiy, who has won the competition twice, and Johnson, who has won once, have their fair share of fans, but it is the support from each other that means the most. “Jenna is a huge asset to the show,” Chmerkovskiy said after Johnson made her return to Dancing With the Stars dance troupe in 2017. “I think she’s an incredible talent. I’m a huge fan. I think she’s the best girl here, so I’m excited to see her here.”
(Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)3. Planning for Family
Although the pair only became engaged in mid-June, they have not made a secret out of the fact that they cannot wait to start a family of their own. In December 2017, Chmerkovskiy opened up about being an uncle to his nephew Shai and admitted he had “baby fever,” but wasn’t sure if Johnson was quite there yet. “No she does, she does. I think she would love to be a mother, but she also has so many incredible things going on in her life and I would feel very selfish to interrupt them for nine months,” he explained. Johnson added that seeing Val with his nephew has ensured her that he would be ready for his own kids. “You know, [Val] never grew up with kids. And so all of a sudden, this baby plops into their lives and he’s like, ‘What do I do?’ But it’s been awesome,” she said. “It’s great to have training. He needs to learn how to change a diaper. That’s going to be a for-sure thing. But it’s so cute. He’s such a good uncle and he loves [Shai] so much.”
(Photo by John Parra/Getty Images for Sandals)2. Special Moments
While Chmerkovskiy opened up about his jealousy in interviews, he was more candid in his book where he shared his real fear. “I’ve felt occasional twinges of jealousy, not because I don’t trust her, or because I fear that she’s not coming home to me, but because she might share a very special moment with somebody else, and I want all her special moments to be with me,” he wrote. “I want to be the only special moment she has, especially on such a high level of emotional tension, and especially when it comes to intimacy.” He continued, “Watching her dance with another man, I have to be willing to say, This is Jenna’s moment, and I need to celebrate that because I love her. That’s how I’ll know I’ve found the person I want to be with, when we can celebrate those moments together. At those times, I can almost feel our connection growing stronger. When it comes to love, you’ve got to dance in the big picture as well as the small. Sometimes it’s your moment, and you’ve got to love that, and sometimes it’s her moment, and you’ve got to love that too.”
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)1. Making It Work
After an on-again, off-again relationship, the duo couldn’t be any happier, and Val revealed that the key to making it work was accepting that in relationships sometimes sacrifices need to be made. “This is part of the new chapter in my life,” he said. “It takes some sacrifice to have a healthy relationship. And, you know, you gotta be willing to make those sacrifices and I’m definitely willing to make certain sacrifices to make it work.”
Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images