Celebrity
‘DWTS’ Reportedly Lifts Val Chmerkovskiy’s Suspension After Explosive Carrie Ann Inaba Controversy
Dancing with the Stars Dedication Night was packed with raw emotion, ferocious foxtrots, passionate paso dobles, whimsical waltzes, and plenty of controversy.
While Val Chmerkovskiy was the only pro not to perform, he still managed to get the most attention. Following a week of back-and-forth on social media, the fan favorite was benched for the night. But now, according to recent reports, he’s back in the DWTS studio.
Page Six just announced that sources close to the show revealed Chmerkovskiy’s historic one-week suspension has been lifted. Per Page Six, a source said, “This suspension took Val by surprise, but he took it gracefully, and he understood.”
Even though a source has stated that Chmerkovskiy is no longer under suspension, Dancing with the Stars and BBC Studios have not issued a statement on the professional dancer’s status.
Chmerkovskiy sparked major controversy after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized his wife, Jenna Johnson. In a now-deleted TikTok post, Chmerkovskiy referenced Will Smith’s infamous wife-defending slap at the 2022 Oscars, writing, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
He later apologized on Instagram Stories, sharing, “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.”
BBC Studios issued a statement earlier in the week reading, according to Variety, “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.”
Given the one-show timeline for his suspension by BBC Studios, Page Six’s report makes sense. But for now, fans will have to wait and see whether Chmerkovskiy returns to celeb partner Jenna Dewan’s side for Season 35’s Horror Movie Night. Dancing with the Stars next airs live on Tuesday, October 27 at 8:00 p.m. on ABC and Disney+ and is available to stream the next day on Hulu.
