Dancing with the Stars professional Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended for one week after posting a joke that appeared to compare his reaction to judge Carrie Ann Inaba with Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.
Chmerkovskiy made the now-deleted remark while defending his wife, fellow professional dancer Jenna Johnson, after Inaba criticised her samba routine with actor Harry Shum Jr.
“You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” Chmerkovskiy reportedly wrote, referencing Smith’s former television series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
The comment was widely interpreted as an allusion to Smith walking onto the Oscars stage and slapping Rock in 2022 after the comedian joked about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
BBC Studios suspends Val
BBC Studios, which produces Dancing with the Stars, confirmed that Chmerkovskiy would not participate in the show’s next episode.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” the company said.
“Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”
The punishment is reportedly the first suspension of a professional dancer in the programme’s history.
Inaba responded to the original controversy by sharing a headline about Chmerkovskiy’s post and writing: “So this is what we are doing now?”
Val apologises to Carrie Ann Inaba
Chmerkovskiy deleted the post and apologised publicly, saying his instinct to defend his wife had resulted in poor judgement.
“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,” he said.
Chmerkovskiy insisted that threatening or encouraging violence was never his intention and said Inaba did not deserve to be drawn into the controversy.
He also apologised to the judge privately.
“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,” he added.
Replacement named for Jenna Dewan
Chmerkovskiy is competing this season with actress Jenna Dewan, who should not be confused with his wife, Jenna Johnson.
Dewan will remain in the competition and perform during the forthcoming Dedication Night episode.
Previously eliminated professional Alan Bersten will temporarily replace Chmerkovskiy as her partner. The pair are expected to perform a Viennese waltz to Unchained Melody as a tribute to Dewan’s mother.
Chmerkovskiy said he would watch the episode from home and encouraged viewers to support Inaba, Dewan and the rest of the Dancing with the Stars cast.
His suspension applies only to the next episode, and he is expected to be eligible to return after serving the one-week punishment.
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