UPDATE — 9/4/25, 03:30 a.m. ET: Sasha Farber addressed his absence from the Dancing With the Stars season 34 cast in an Instagram Story video on Wednesday, September 3.
“It is a beautiful day today,” Farber, 41, said in the video. “Guys, the Dancing With the Stars cast announcement was today. Wow, so many good names. Who are you going to vote for? I mean, I know who I’m going to vote for. I know who you’re not going to vote for — that’s me. But that’s OK.”
“Thank you all so much for all your incredible messages. I read them all, I see it all, I adore you. I definitely don’t deserve you because you guys are amazing. I love you. Thank you so much,” he continued.
Farber said that despite his absence, he’s excited to root for the celebrities and their professional dance partners taking part in the upcoming season.
Which ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pros Didn’t Return for Season 34?
“This is going to be quite the season … who’s gonna win? Anyone could win. This is going to be great and I can’t wait to cheer. Love you all,” he said.
Original story:
The upcoming season of Dancing With the Stars is missing some familiar faces, including Sasha Farber.
When the season 34 cast was announced via Good Morning America on Wednesday, September 3, the dancer wasn’t named as one of the pros. It appears that Farber addressed his absence from the show in a TikTok comment days before the celeb pairs were revealed.
“Sasha, this season will not be the same without you,” a comment on Farber’s TikTok posted on Monday, September 1, read. “I started watching in 2016 when I was stuck at home on leave from work, and you became a favorite.”
Farber alluded that he wouldn’t be returning with his reply, but still supported his former cast mates. (Rumors had been swirling for weeks about a DWTS cast shakeup online.)
@sashafarber Needed this
@Sarah Nolan
“Really thank you so much !!!” Farber replied. “It’s going to be such a good season.”
Farber made his debut as a DWTS pro during season 17, which aired in 2013, alongside celeb partner Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi. The pair finished in eighth place that season and Farber took a break from the show. He returned as a pro for season 22 in 2016 alongside partner Kim Fields, with whom he finished in seventh place.
Everything to Know About ‘DWTS’ Season 34: Celebs, New Pros and More
The dancer appeared on DWTS consistently from 2016 to 2024. His most recent appearance on the show was with Jenn Tran on season 33. The duo kicked off a showmance while competing last year and split this past June.
Peta Murgatroyd, Artem Chigvintsev and Lindsay Arnold are among the DWTS cast of professional dancers who also won’t be returning for the upcoming season.
Arnold, 31, hasn’t been on the show since 2021, but fans have been hoping for a comeback ever since. She did tell viewers in a TikTok last month that she’s not yet ready to return.
“My reasons for not doing the show feel even more relevant than they did in the past,” she said, noting that things have been left “open-ended” with the series.
The new season’s lineup of pros includes: Ezra Sosa (partnered with Jordan Chiles), Britt Stewart (partnered with Baron Davis), Daniella Karagach (partnered with Dylan Efron), Pasha Pashkov (partnered with Danielle Fishel), Alan Bersten (partnered with Elaine Hendrix), Rylee Arnold (partnered with Scott Hoying), Robert Irwin (partnered with Witney Carson), Brandon Armstrong (partnered with Lauren Jauregui), Mark Ballas (partnered with Whitney Leavitt), Emma Slater (partnered with Andy Richter) Jenna Johnson (paired with Corey Feldman), Val Chmerkovskiy (paired with Alix Earle), Gleb Savchenko (paired with Hilaria Baldwin) and newcomer Jan Ravnik (partnered with Jen Affleck).
Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC Tuesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET and will also stream live on Disney+.
Prove your DWTS fandom with Us Weekly and Bracketology.tv! Compete against other fans and Us editors in the Bracketology DWTS fantasy league this season to predict which pairs will make it to the finale for season 34. Get access to exclusive content, stats and a chance to win prizes. Join the league for free today!
