A behind-the-scenes disagreement on Dancing With the Stars escalated into a public apology after professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy shared a controversial social media post aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The October 15 dispute followed mounting tensions over judging rules, routine choreography, and an online remark that drew comparisons to the 2022 Academy Awards.
The friction began during the ABC reality show’s first-ever “Super Bowl Night” episode. Pro dancer Jenna Johnson and her celebrity partner, actor Harry Shum Jr., performed a samba routine to Usher’s hit song “Yeah!” During the judging portion, Carrie Ann Inaba deducted points and criticized the pair, claiming the routine featured an illegal lift involving troupe dancers who helped Shum execute a backflip.
Johnson openly disagreed with the critique on live television. Inaba defended her stance by reading the official competition definition of a lift aloud from a sheet of paper: “Any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner.”
The Controversial Social Media Fallout
Following the broadcast, Val Chmerkovskiy, who is married to Jenna Johnson, defended his wife online. He initially commented on a clip of the routine, writing, “Put some respect on her name. She’s trippin’ talking to her like that.”
Chmerkovskiy then escalated the dispute in a since-deleted TikTok status posted the day after the show. He wrote, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” Viewers immediately interpreted the statement as a reference to Will Smith, star of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, storming the Oscars stage and slapping comedian Chris Rock after a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
The comment drew immediate backlash from fans and caught the attention of Inaba herself. On Thursday, Inaba addressed the remark on Instagram, writing, “So this is what we are doing now?” and thanking media outlets for bringing the post to her attention.
Val Chmerkovskiy Issues a Public Apology
Realizing the severity of the backlash, Chmerkovskiy took to his Instagram Stories on October 15 to issue a formal apology to Inaba and the public.
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post,” Chmerkovskiy 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.”
He added that he recognizes his platform and influence as a public figure:
“I recognize that I 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 I 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.”
Broader Debate Over DWTS Rules
The lift controversy sparked extensive debate among current and former Dancing With the Stars professionals regarding the consistency of the judging panel.
Val’s brother, former pro Maks Chmerkovskiy, appeared on “The Viall Files” podcast to criticize how the rule was applied. He argued that the official rulebook is meant for a couple dancing alone and does not clearly account for background troupe members. “There’s no ‘three other people’ in the rulebook. The point is: Carrie Ann, get some consistency,” Maks said.
Peta Murgatroyd and former contestant Hilaria Baldwin also weighed in, noting that rules regarding background lifts can often be confusing for competitors. Meanwhile, Harry Shum Jr. took to social media to urge fans to keep things lighthearted, writing, “Everyone take a deep breath! It’s all going to be okay! Lots of madness in this world already so let’s just enjoy being entertained!”
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and streams live on Disney+.
