Jenna Johnson of DWTS Opens Up About the Struggles of Working Mom Guilt
Jenna Johnson has discovered how challenging it is to juggle motherhood alongside her Dancing With the Stars career.
“I’ve been putting in some incredibly long hours this week as we gear up for our thrilling two-night premiere, and my mama heart has felt a little shattered being away from my sweet boy,” Johnson, 32, shared on Instagram on Sunday, September 13, in reference to her 3-year-old son, Rome. “I’m thankful he was able to visit the set yesterday and witness all the magic happening!”
She added, “I think I needed that visit more than he did.”
The two-time DWTS champion shares Rome with her husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, who is also a pro dancer on the popular ballroom competition series. (Johnson is paired with Glee alum Harry Shum Jr., while Chmerkovskiy, 40, will be dancing with Step Up actress Jenna Dewan in season 35.)
On Saturday, September 12, Johnson, Chmerkovskiy, and their respective celebrity partners held camera-blocking rehearsals. For Johnson, it served as a reminder that moms can truly do it all — even when it means wrestling with feelings of heartache.
“To all the working mamas, I see you! We’ve got this,” she expressed in her social media post. “And to my fellow mamas on set… I’m grateful for your beautiful examples! I love navigating this journey together ✨.”
Fellow DWTS dancers Daniella Karagach, Witney Carson, and Sharna Burgess are also mothers. Karagach, 33, and her dancer husband Pasha Pashkov have a 3-year-old daughter named Nikita, while Burgess, 41, shares a 4-year-old son named Zane with her fiancé Brian Austin Green. Carson, 32, is a mother of two with another on the way. (The expectant choreographer and her husband, Carson McAllister, already have two sons.)
“You all are so inspiring!!!” pro Brandon Armstrong‘s wife, Brylee Armstrong, commented below.
Karagach and Burgess will compete for the mirrorball trophy with their respective partners Ezra Frech and Tyler Cameron, while Carson teams up with Guillermo Rodriguez.
“Honestly, it’s been going OK,” Carson exclusively told Us earlier this month about her experience on DWTS during her pregnancy. “I feel like I have much more energy than I did in my first trimester. The nausea is starting to fade, and I’m beginning to feel a bit more energized.”
She continued, “I told Guillermo that physically I feel the same, just a bit more out of breath. But…I honestly don’t feel pregnant at all. I believe I can still do everything as before, which is such a blessing. I’m aware it might become a bit more challenging as I start to grow.”
Dancing With the Stars season 35 will kick off with a two-night premiere on ABC and Disney+ on Tuesday, September 15, and Wednesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET.
