“Dancing With the Stars” is pulling pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy from next week’s show following remarks he made about judge Carrie Ann Inaba. He will be suspended for one week.
On Wednesday, Chmerkovskiy posted a TikTok referencing Will Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slap in response to Inaba’s criticism of his wife, Jenna Johnson, who is also a pro dancer on the ABC reality show.
“The well-being of everyone who works on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is non-negotiable. Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show,” BBC Studios said in a statement on Saturday. “As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”
Following news of his suspension, Chmerkovskiy shared a statement with media.
“In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name; out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention,” he said. “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
He continued: “The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
Representatives for Inaba did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
Chmerkovskiy’s dance partner, Jenna Dewan, is reportedly aware of the situation and is scheduled to perform with Alan Bersten next week in a routine dedicated to her mother.
On Wednesday, Chmerkovskiy responded to a clip of Johnson and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr., receiving their scores after Inaba called out a rule-breaking lift in their dance.
“Put some respect on her name. She’s trippin’ talking to her like that,” he wrote. Then, according to People, he escalated things further in a TikTok Story, writing, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
Many interpreted the comment as suggesting he might take action similar to Smith, who stormed the Oscars stage and slapped host Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Inaba soon saw the comment and made her own Instagram post thanking media outlets for bringing it to her attention and asking, “So this is what we are doing now?”
On Thursday, Chmerkovskiy took to his Instagram Stories to issue an apology.
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post,” the pro dancer wrote. “I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally, and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal ‘DWTS’ family. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it.”
He continued: “I recognize that l am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who l am, and who I want to be for you all. I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward.”
