Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended From 'Dancing with the Stars' Over Social Media Post
The professional dancer is sitting out this week's episode following a controversial online post referencing the 2022 Oscars slap.
Professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended from "Dancing with the Stars" following a controversial social media post directed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The disciplinary action kept Chmerkovskiy out of the ballroom, leaving his celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, to perform with fellow pro Alan Bersten during Dedication Night.
The ballroom controversy originated during the October 13 Super Bowl Night episode when Inaba criticized a lift performed in a samba routine by Dewan and Harry Shum Jr., reading aloud the definition of the prohibited move. The tough critique reportedly left Chmerkovskiy's wife and fellow pro, Jenna Johnson, in tears.
Reacting as a protective spouse, Chmerkovskiy took to social media and posted a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. He wrote that viewers "almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom," and commented on a fan's video telling someone to put respect on his wife's name. The TikTok post was later deleted.
While initial reports suggested that Inaba filed a human resources complaint against Chmerkovskiy, subsequent reporting clarified that his own October 15 public apology triggered the formal investigation by BBC Studios. The production company swiftly announced his suspension, stating that the well-being of everyone on the show is non-negotiable and that his post was inappropriate.
Chmerkovskiy issued a statement acknowledging that he made a poor judgment call. He admitted that his instinct was to defend his wife, but conceded that referencing the meme carried unintended implications. He expressed regret that Inaba got caught in the middle of his bad decision and stated that he did not want to distract from Dewan's hard work.
During Dedication Night, co-host Alfonso Ribeiro briefly addressed the absence at the top of the program, while Bersten and Dewan focused on their emotional Viennese waltz dedicated to Dewan's mother, Nancy Lee Bursch. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba alluded to the backstage drama during critiques by telling Dewan that she knew the journey had been a lot, and the temporary duo ultimately earned a score of 37 out of 40.
The lineup change also sparked secondary drama among the show's professional dancers after former pro Gleb Savchenko questioned Bersten's technical readiness to step in. Emma Slater, a fellow pro and Bersten's girlfriend, defended the arrangement, noting that dancers regularly step in to support each other when necessary as the competition continues.