Sasha Farber Addressed 'DWTS' Cast Shakeup Days Before Announcement

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

♬ original sound – Sasha Farber

“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.

Which 'Dancing With the Stars' Pros Didn't Return for Season 34?

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.

DWTS season 34 is set to premiere on ABC Tuesday, September 16, at 8 p.m. ET and will also stream live on Disney+. The current lineup 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).