Referring to Will Smith’s slap, the famous dancer was removed from the Dancing With the Stars show.
The male dancer’s social media post was deemed inappropriate and did not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone involved with the show.
Val Chmerkovskiy is one of the official dancers who has been associated with the popular dance television show Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) for many years .
In the October 13th episode of the show, judge Carrie Ann Inaba reprimanded Jenna Johnson (Chmerkovskiy’s wife and a professional dancer participating in the show) for a lift in her dance routine. Val Chmerkovskiy then posted on her TikTok story: “You almost saw Fresh Prince on the dance floor last night.” This comment was interpreted as a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
Dancer couple Jenna Johnson and Val Chmerkovskiy met while participating in the show Dancing With the Stars, and they married in 2019 (Photo: Disney)
The post was quickly deleted, but it couldn’t prevent the negative effects that followed. Val Chmerkovskiy – a dancer who had been on DWTS since season two – later apologized to judge Inaba and the audience he had offended. “I want to sincerely apologize for my recent post. I have contacted Carrie Ann directly and privately to apologize, and I also want to apologize publicly because I understand that my words affected so many people outside of our DWTS family . I realize that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and be a role model for some people, and I need to use that more carefully by proactively thinking before posting to ensure what I share aligns with who I am and who I want to become…”
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba (Photo: Disney)
DWTS quickly took action. Accordingly, the male dancer was removed from the list of performers for the next show. “The safety and well-being of all those working on the show is non-negotiable. Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone involved with the show,” BBC Studios stated. “Therefore, he will not be participating in the show next week.”
Val Chmerkovskiy issued a statement regarding his temporary absence, in which he stated that mentioning an already controversial event was inappropriate “in a moment when my instinct was to protect my wife.” “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to be caught up in my lack of judgment, and I regret that,” he added.
Because of her dance partner’s “slip of the tongue,” actress Jenna Dewan – one of the notable stars of the 2026 season – will have to compete with a new dancer.
Actress Jenna Dewan will have a new dance partner for the next show following Val Chmerkovskiy’s controversial remarks (Photo: Disney)
Having spanned 34 seasons, DWTS is one of the most enduringly popular reality TV shows, attracting a star-studded cast. Recently, Kim Kardashian stirred up interest in DWTS by sharing her disappointing experiences in the seventh season, citing shyness and an inability to fully immerse herself in the dance routines. The show previously had a Vietnamese version called ” Dancing with the Stars ,” which was a sensation on VTV.
Behind the glittering lights of the dance stage and the allure of the dances, many behind-the-scenes stories are controversial. In 2005, Monaco won the first season; however, many viewers believed O’Hurley deserved the championship trophy. Following a backlash from fans regarding the final result, ABC aired a special episode about the elimination round two months later. O’Hurley was declared the winner after the elimination round. Before becoming a global star, Zendaya suffered a puzzling defeat on the show at the age of 16. As a judge, Carrie Ann Inaba has been the target of criticism more than once. In season 34, she shared with Variety about the boos directed at her – something that male judges like Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli did not experience.
