DWTS: Jenna Johnson says she broke her nose, still dances to 29/30

Jenna Johnson said she broke her nose during camera blocking hours before Dancing With the Stars’ live “Grammy Night” on Tuesday. She still took the floor with partner Harry Shum Jr. and delivered the night’s highest-scoring solo dance.

By the end of the telecast, Shum and Johnson’s salsa to “Die With a Smile” earned 29 out of 30 points — the top solo score of the evening — on the ABC and Disney+ broadcast.

How did Johnson break her nose?

Jenna Johnson, a longtime Dancing With the Stars professional, said she suffered a broken nose during camera blocking — the final onstage rehearsal with production cameras and lights — earlier Tuesday. She described swelling and discomfort but made clear before showtime that she intended to perform anyway. Her celebrity partner this season is actor and dancer Harry Shum Jr.

The injury occurred while the pair were fine-tuning their salsa for “Grammy Night,” a new theme for the series that highlights music tied to the Recording Academy’s honors. Johnson did not provide additional details beyond the rehearsal timing and the fact the injury happened while working with Shum. Despite the setback, they proceeded with the live performance.

How the salsa scored — and what the judges said

Assigned a salsa to “Die With a Smile” — the Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars collaboration that won the 2025 Grammy for best pop duo/group performance — Shum and Johnson powered through with a routine that impressed the panel and the ballroom.

Carrie Ann Inaba said she could feel Shum was dancing “from the heart,” a note that often signals a strong emotional connection and performance quality. Derek Hough offered a technical critique, noting Shum’s lower body appeared “rigid” at times, even as his upper body and presentation were “perfection.” Bruno Tonioli, known for his exuberant commentary, called it an “extra spicy salsa.”

When the scores were tallied, the duo posted 29/30 — the best solo mark of the night. No couple recorded a perfect 30/30 on the evening’s solo dances. Their outing further underscored Johnson’s resilience and Shum’s late-season momentum as competition tightens heading into the semifinals.

What immunity meant on Grammy Night

Shum and Johnson entered Tuesday with a strategic advantage: immunity from the dance-off round. The show awarded that immunity to the pair with the season’s highest cumulative points through Disney Night. According to multiple recaps, Shum/Johnson edged Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy on a 236–235 season-points tiebreaker after both couples finished Disney Night at a perfect 80 for the week.

Immunity applied only to the dance-off, not to the solo round. That meant Shum and Johnson still needed to perform their salsa and collect viewer votes like every other couple. The dance-off winners collected two bonus points, which mattered later in the standings and elimination call — a dynamic that would loom large for Dewan and Chmerkovskiy.

Who went home, and who’s left

The elimination capped a competitive night: Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy delivered a 28/30 jazz to Janet Jackson’s “All for You,” then won their dance-off (a cha-cha to “The Middle”) to add two points, reaching a combined 30/30 for the night. Even so, they were eliminated on the combined judges’ scores and viewer votes. Recaps described the exit as a shock. Dewan thanked her family and said she had a great time.

Elsewhere on the leaderboard, Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov scored 28/30 for their paso doble and then won their rumba dance-off, moving to 30/30 for the night. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas earned 27/30 for their Argentine tango and won their cha-cha dance-off to end at 29/30. Three more couples — Tatyana Ali with Jan Ravnik, Ezra Frech with Daniella Karagach, and Connor Wood with Rylee Arnold — each posted 27/30 on their solo dances.

After the results, the celebrities still in contention are Tatyana Ali, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Maura Higgins, Harry Shum Jr., and Connor Wood. The field advances to the semifinals on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Why Tuesday’s results matter for the semifinals

With semifinals next, small gaps in scoring and viewer support become pivotal. Shum and Johnson now carry a 29/30 solo on Grammy Night into a round where routines typically get more technically demanding and judges narrow the margin for error. Their near-top mark — posted on a night Johnson said she was nursing a broken nose — positions them as clear contenders.

But momentum can swing quickly. Glenn’s consistent strength and dance-off win, Higgins’ competitive speed, and steady 27/30s from Ali, Frech, and Wood leave a tight pack where two or three points can decide who reaches the finale. And while Tuesday’s immunity protected Shum/Johnson from the dance-off’s risk, no such insulation is guaranteed in the semifinals; every couple must deliver under pressure.

Viewer votes remain a key variable. As seen with Dewan/Chmerkovskiy, even strong judges’ returns — including a dance-off bonus — are not always enough. For fans, the path to the finale runs through dialing, clicking, and streaming live when the show airs.

What is “Grammy Night” on DWTS?

“Grammy Night” is a first for Dancing With the Stars. Themed around music associated with the Grammy Awards, the episode cues up routines to tracks that have earned top industry recognition. For Shum and Johnson, that meant salsa to a recent Grammy-winning collaboration. For other couples, the theme wove through artist tributes and styles chosen to match iconic songs.

The format blended standard solo dances with a late-show dance-off round, in which paired couples face each other side-by-side to the same song. Judges select the winner of each face-off and award two bonus points. The dance-off can help a team erase a small deficit or widen a narrow lead before the elimination call.

How tight was the race for dance-off immunity?

Very. Shum and Johnson and Dewan and Chmerkovskiy both closed Disney Night with a perfect 80 for the week. By the end of that show, their season-long cumulative points were separated by a single point — 236–235 — with Shum/Johnson holding the slim edge. That edge secured their Tuesday dance-off immunity.

It did not decide Tuesday’s elimination by itself, as immunity did not shield results from the combined influence of judges’ scores and viewer votes. But it did shape the night: Shum/Johnson could focus only on their solo, while the others needed to be ready for both their solo and a potential head-to-head.

Where to watch, and what to rewatch

“Grammy Night” aired Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams on Disney+. If you missed the broadcast, replays and on-demand options on Disney+ provide the full set of routines, judges’ feedback, and the elimination reveal.

For more context on this season’s turning points: - Read our Halloween results recap: https://www.newscubby.com/briefings/dwts-halloween-results-tyler-cameron-jackson-olson-october-27-2026 - Catch up on Jenna Dewan’s partner change earlier in the season: https://www.newscubby.com/briefings/dancing-with-the-stars-jenna-dewan-partner-change-october-18-2026 - See what was on TV the night DWTS went horror: https://www.newscubby.com/briefings/tonight-on-tv-dwts-horror-movie-night-kordell-stewart-the-drop-finale

What’s next

The semifinals are set for Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. The remaining six celebrities — Tatyana Ali, Ezra Frech, Amber Glenn, Maura Higgins, Harry Shum Jr., and Connor Wood — return to the ballroom with higher stakes and tighter scoring. Expect more technically intensive choreography, elevated performance demands, and judges pressing for polish.

For Shum and Johnson, the task is straightforward: build on the 29/30 salsa and their season-long consistency, then secure enough viewer votes to carry momentum into the finale. For the rest of the field, the margins are slim, and every count will matter.

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*ARCHIVE PHOTO: Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. pictured during a prior DWTS week. Photo: NewsCubby*

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