DWTS PRO VAL CHMERKOVSKIY FINALLY EXPLAINS THE MISTAKE THAT LED TO HIM BITING JENNA DEWAN’S NECK FOR FAR LONGER THAN INTENDED — AND THE REASON BEHIND THE AWKWARD MOMENT IS NOT WHAT VIEWERS MIGHT EXPECT What was supposed to be a carefully choreographed moment took an unexpected turn when Val and Jenna performed together. Instead of ending as planned, the neck bite continued long enough to become a moment neither could simply ignore. Now Val has explained exactly where things went wrong, revealing how an error in the routine turned a brief move into something much more memorable. His account offers a rather different perspective on the moment that caught everyone’s attention. 👇 SEE VAL’S EXPLANATION FOR THE LENGTHY NECK BITE BELOW.

Dancing With the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy’s lengthy bite out of Jenna Dewan’s neck during their routine Tuesday was, in fact, a prop mishap.

“I had a a blood patch in my pocket, and I couldn’t get it out in time,” Chmerkovskiy told Entertainment Tonight after Tuesday’s live show. “Usually, I had blood gushing out.”

Chmerkovskiy joked that he was trying to get “some real blood” from Dewan while taking on his vampire persona.

Dewan said she “actually didn’t know that” fact until hearing him saying it during the interview. The Step Up star did, however, praise her partner for his “commitment level” during the dance.

Tuesday’s Horror Movie Night brought Chmerkovskiy back to the DWTS ballroom following a weeklong suspension. Dewan’s intro package kicked off with Chmerkovskiy issuing his celebrity partner an apology following all the drama.

Chmerkovskiy’s suspension came after his wife Jenna Johnson had a tense moment with judge Carrie Ann Inaba during Super Bowl Night earlier this month. Chmerkovskiy responded with an unsavory comment on social media, which led to him being removed for one week from the DWTS roster. Dewan took to the ballroom with Alan Bersten during last week’s Dedication Night instead.

“We are back together. I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful,” Chmerkovskiy told Dewan in their rehearsal package on Tuesday. The duo wasted no time perfecting their routine. They performed an Argentine tango to “Uninvited” by Damned Anthem & Kendra Dantes, which was inspired by the 2007 zombie movie 28 Weeks Later. Chmerkovskiy and Dewan received a score of 37 out of 40.

Chmerkovskiy told ET on Tuesday that he was “overwhelmed with joy and love” regarding his return to the ballroom.

“Families get into little fights and and I think it’s not about getting into it, it’s how you resolve it,” he added. “I got nothing but love for Carrie Ann. I know the world thinks otherwise but the truth is — and I wanted her to know the truth from me — I got nothing but love.”

“I want her to be empowered to speak her mind. She has more than earned that voice and I have never said otherwise,” Chmerkovskiy continued. “I just wanted her to hear it from me that I want her to be successful and feel nothing but joy up there, nothing but love.”

Watch Chmerkovskiy and Dewan’s full interview above. New episodes of Dancing With the Stars season 35 air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.