Val Chmerkovskiy suspended from ‘DWTS’ for a week over Will Smith Oscars slap reference

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from ‘Dancing with the Stars (DWTS)’ for a week following his controversial social media comment towards judge Carrie Ann Inaba, in which he seemingly referenced Will Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slap. 

Chmerkovskiy’s cryptic post came after Inaba harshly criticized the former’s wife Jenna Johnson, who is also a pro dancer on ‘DWTS,’ the evening before. In response to Inaba’s criticism, Chmerkovskiy shared a now-deleted TikTok post, which read, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” 

The statement seemed to refer to Will Smith, who played the titular role in ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,’ and the infamous 2022 Oscars incident, when he slapped Chris Rock onstage after Rock joked about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. 

BBC Studios announces Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension

In the wake of Chmerkovskiy’s now-deleted controversial post, BBC Studios issued a statement saying, “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 result, he will not participate in next week’s show.” 

Chmerkovskiy’s ‘DWTS’ dance partner, ‘Step Up’ star Jenna Dewan, was reportedly informed about the situation and will be performing with Alan Bersten next week in a heartfelt routine dedicated to her mother. 

The controversy began after Chmerkovskiy responded to a clip of Johnson and her dance partner, Harry Shum Jr., receiving their scores following Inaba’s criticism of a rule-breaking lift in their performance. “Put some respect on her name. She’s trippin’ talking to her like that,” Chmerkovskiy reportedly commented at first. 

The dancer then escalated the matter further by posting a TikTok story saying, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” This prompted many to presume that Chmerkovskiy hinted at repeating Smith’s action towards Rock, when he slapped the comedian for joking about his wife. 

Inaba reportedly responded to Chmerkovskiy’s comment by sharing a screenshot of Page Six’s coverage of the story, writing, “So this is what we are doing now?” She also thanked media outlets for bringing the matter to her attention.

Val Chmerkovskiy issues apology for his post

On Thursday, October 15, Chmerkovskiy took to his Instagram Stories to issue an official apology. “I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post,” he 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,” Chmerkovskiy 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,” he added.

Val Chmerkovskiy responds to his ‘DWTS’ suspension 

According to The Wrap, Chmerkovskiy shared another statement, responding to his week-long suspension from the dance reality show. “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,” Chmerkovskiy added. “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!!” he concluded.