Val Chmerkovskiy Booted from DWTS Over Controversial Slap Joke
Val Chmerkovskiy has been benched from "Dancing With the Stars" for an inappropriate social media post directed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba, stemming from a critique of his wife, Jenna Johnson. Chmerkovskiy issued apologies, acknowledging his poor judgment, while his partner Jenna Dewan will continue dancing with Alan Bersten for "Dedication Night."
Professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy has been benched from “Dancing With the Stars” following a controversial social media post directed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The decision was announced by BBC Studios, who stated that “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.” As a direct consequence of this incident, Chmerkovskiy will not participate in the upcoming week’s show.
The controversy originated after the October 13 episode of “Dancing With the Stars,” during which Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Jenna Johnson, who is married to Chmerkovskiy, for incorporating a lift into her routine. Following this critique, Chmerkovskiy posted a comment on his TikTok story, which read, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” This remark was widely interpreted as a reference to the infamous incident at the 2022 Oscars, where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and stated, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” Chmerkovskiy’s post was swiftly deleted, but not before Inaba became aware of it and commented on her own Instagram, thanking media outlets for bringing the remark to her attention.
In response to the benching and the ensuing backlash, Val Chmerkovskiy issued a statement on Instagram, expressing remorse for his actions. He wrote, “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. Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.” He further emphasized his desire not to be a distraction from the upcoming “Dedication Night” or from his dance partner Jenna Dewan’s efforts, urging fans to send love to Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the entire DWTS family.
Prior to this, Chmerkovskiy, a veteran of “Dancing With the Stars” since its second season, had also issued an earlier apology on his Instagram Story. In that message, he stated, “I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. 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.” He acknowledged his fortunate position with a platform and his role as a potential role model, committing to greater care in his social media posts by “actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am, and who I want to be for you all.”
Amidst this situation, Val Chmerkovskiy’s dance partner, Jenna Dewan, is confirmed by Variety to continue her participation in “Dedication Night.” She will be paired with Alan Bersten, a dancer who was eliminated in week three of the competition. Dewan is scheduled to perform a Viennese waltz dedicated to her mother, set to “Unchained Melody.” A source close to the production noted Dewan’s professionalism, stating, “Jenna Dewan is aware and has continued to be a true professional and respectful of the process. Jenna is a beloved part of the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ family, and we are grateful for the joy and positivity she brings to the show.”
The incident also sheds light on the broader context of criticism faced by judge Carrie Ann Inaba. During Season 34, Inaba openly discussed the constant booing and negativity she experiences in the ballroom, a phenomenon she noted is not typically directed at the male judges, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli. She shared her past struggles, stating, “It used to really affect me. I have been targeted with this kind of negativity since the show began, back when we had chat rooms.” Inaba described the impact of cruel comments, admitting, “It’s made me scared. It’s not so much that I get hurt as I get afraid, because it feels like they’re attacking me verbally, so I shrink down a little during the season, especially after week five or six.”