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Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended from “Dancing With the Stars” after appearing to reference Will Smith’s infamous Oscar slap in a since-deleted social media post defending his wife, fellow professional dancer Jenna Johnson.
The 40-year-old professional dancer will miss Tuesday’s “Dedication Night” episode, marking the first known suspension of a professional dancer in the show’s history, according to ABC.
BBC Studios, which produces the ABC dance competition, confirmed the disciplinary action on Saturday.
Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended from “DWTS” after a controversial comment against judge Carrie Ann Inaba. (Getty Images)
“The well-being of everyone who works on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is non-negotiable,” the company said in a statement. “Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected to the show. Therefore, he will not be appearing on next week’s show.”
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The controversy began after Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Johnson and his famous dance partner, actor Harry Shum Jr., on “Super Bowl Night” last week. Inaba called a lift in the couple’s samba routine and even read the definition of a lift during her critique.
Val, who is married to Johnson, appeared to defend her in a TikTok post that read: “You almost saw the Fresh Prince walk into the ballroom last night.” The comment was widely seen as a reference to Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars.
Judges Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough, Bruno Tonioli and Alfonso Ribeiro, along with professional dancer Jenna Johnson and contestant Harry Shum Jr., appear on “Mariah Carey Night” on Dancing With the Stars. (Disney via Getty Images)
The post was later deleted and Val apologized to Inaba publicly and privately.
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“At a time when my instinct was to defend my wife, I made the poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without thinking about what else that reference might imply, which was truly never my intention,” he wrote in his Instagram Stories.
“Carrie Ann certainly did not deserve to be caught in the middle of my poor judgment, and I hate that she was,” he added.
Val also said he didn’t want the controversy to overshadow the upcoming episode or take attention away from his famous partner, Jenna Dewan.
“DWTS” judge Carrie Ann Inaba once admitted to being harsher on female contestants. (Getty Images)
“The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is doing,” he wrote. “Please send lots of love to Carrie Ann, Jenna and the entire ‘DWTS’ family during Dedication Night. I will be watching and cheering for everyone!!”
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Dewan will temporarily dance with pro Alan Bersten, who was eliminated from the competition in week two alongside his celebrity partner, Giada De Laurentiis.
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