When Dancing With The Stars revealed its Season 34 cast earlier this month, the list was star-studded with celebrities, influencers, pro athletes, and more. There was someone, however, who viewers noticed was missing—veteran pro dancer Sasha Farber.

Sasha was in the headlines quite a bit last year when he struck up a romance with his reality TV dance partner, former Bachelorette Jenn Tran. So why has he decided to opt out of the current season?

Sasha Says He Needs A Break From The Show

It turns out there’s not a very dramatic reason for Sasha stepping away from Season 34. That is, he’s taken seasons off of DWTS in the past, and the same is happening again this year. Longtime viewers of the show may recall that he opted out of Season 25 back in 2017, but then returned for Season 26 when he partnered with former Olympic ice skater Tonya Harding.

When fans wrote to Sasha on social media about his absence, he was quick to assure them that it was only temporary. He noted how excited he was to be an audience member for the new season:

Sasha’s DWTS History:

Sasha’s Absence Doesn’t Have To Do With Jenn

Some fans are speculating that Sasha may be stepping away after his split from Jenn last season. Though the two continued to date for a short while after the season ended, they ended up calling it quits in June. At the time, reps from Jenn said that she was simply too busy with her schooling in Miami and other goals to be able to commit to a relationship.

Finding love on the show isn’t new for Sasha, either. Major fans of the franchise will know that he was previously married to another one of the pro dancers, Emma Slater. Though the couple divorced in 2022, they have remained on good terms and have both remained employed on the show.

Season 34 of Dancing With The Stars is currently airing on ABC.