Three-time Dancing with the Stars champion Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from the reality competition for one week following an inappropriate social media post directed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The disciplinary action, confirmed by production company BBC Studios on October 17, 2026, means Chmerkovskiy will sit out the upcoming Dedication Night broadcast.
The controversy began after the show’s live Tuesday broadcast. During the episode, Carrie Ann Inaba offered a strict critique of a lift performed in a routine by fellow professional dancer Jenna Johnson-who is married to Chmerkovskiy-and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr. Inaba went so far as to read the technical definition of a lift on air to justify the score deduction.
In response to the feedback, Chmerkovskiy published a since-deleted TikTok story on October 14. Referencing the infamous 2022 Academy Awards incident where Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock, Chmerkovskiy wrote, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The post was widely interpreted as an aggressive or threatening joke toward the judge.
BBC Studios issued a swift statement addressing the fallout, emphasizing that workplace safety and mutual respect are top priorities for the production. “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” the statement read. “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.”
Val Chmerkovskiy Issues Public Apology
Following the widespread online backlash, Inaba posted a since-deleted message on Instagram featuring photos of Chmerkovskiy and Smith. She wrote, “So this is what we are doing now?” and thanked media outlets for bringing the post to her attention.
Chmerkovskiy initially reached out to Inaba to apologize personally before issuing a public statement via Instagram. He acknowledged his poor judgment and admitted that his protective instincts clouded his common sense.
“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,” Chmerkovskiy wrote. “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
He 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!!”
Impact on Celebrity Partner Jenna Dewan
Chmerkovskiy’s one-week suspension places his celebrity partner, actress Jenna Dewan, in a challenging position as the competition heats up. However, producers confirmed that Dewan will remain in the running.
To ensure Dewan can still perform during Dedication Night, she has been temporarily paired with professional dancer Alan Bersten, who was eliminated earlier in the season alongside his partner Giada De Laurentiis. Dewan is scheduled to perform a Viennese waltz set to “Unchained Melody,” dedicated to her mother.
Sources close to the production noted that Dewan has remained a consummate professional throughout the shakeup, continuing to rehearse diligently despite the sudden change in partnership. New episodes of Dancing with the Stars air live weekly on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming available on Hulu.
