Val Chmerkovskiy DWTS suspension follows his ‘Fresh Prince’ ballroom joke

BBC Studios handed Dancing with the Stars professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy a one-week suspension on Saturday, October 17, benching him from the upcoming October 20 live broadcast following an inappropriate social media post aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

According to People and Deadline, the disciplinary action marks the first time in the history of the long-running ballroom competition that a professional dancer has been suspended. Chmerkovskiy will sit out Season 35’s Dedication Night while celebrity partner Jenna Dewan remains in the competition.

Pro dancer Alan Bersten, who was eliminated earlier in the season alongside celebrity partner Giada De Laurentiis, will step in to partner Dewan. As reported by Variety and Us Weekly, the duo will perform a Viennese waltz set to The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to Dewan’s mother, Nancy.

“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,” a BBC Studios spokesperson said in a statement to the media on Saturday.

How the post started

The situation began following the Tuesday, October 13 episode of Season 35, themed “Super Bowl Night.” During the broadcast, Inaba critiqued and penalized pro dancer Jenna Johnson, who is married to Chmerkovskiy, and her celebrity partner Harry Shum Jr. for an illegal lift in their samba routine.

The following day, Chmerkovskiy responded on TikTok, writing in a comment, “Put some respect on her name. She’s trippin’ talking to her like that.” In a subsequent TikTok Story, he added, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”

The remark, which drew swift online criticism, referenced Will Smith slapping Chris Rock onstage at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. Both posts were later deleted.

Inaba addressed the comments on Instagram on Thursday, October 15, sharing a screenshot and writing, “So this is what we are doing now?”

Johnson had previously taken a different approach when speaking with Extra about Inaba’s critique. “I absolutely hear Carrie Ann and she’s a judge for a reason. She’s doing her job, I’m gonna do mine, I’m gonna take the feedback… I said that to her afterwards, I went up to her and she was like, ‘Girl, of course,’ so I hear and respect the judges absolutely,” Johnson said.

Chmerkovskiy apologizes to Inaba and Dewan

Chmerkovskiy issued an initial apology on Instagram Stories on October 15, writing, “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. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it.”

Following his suspension on Saturday, the dancer shared an expanded statement to the media and on his Instagram Stories confirming he would not dance on Tuesday.

“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,” Chmerkovskiy said.

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!!”

What happens next

Dewan has continued rehearsals alongside Bersten ahead of Tuesday’s live broadcast. A production source told Variety and Cosmopolitan that “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.”

It remains unconfirmed whether Chmerkovskiy will face any additional repercussions beyond his one-week suspension, and Inaba has not publicly stated whether she has accepted his private apology.