UPDATED with Chmerkovskiy’s answer: Val Chmerkovskiy is suspended from Dancing with the stars for a week after posting a controversial message on TikTok that appeared to reference Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap.
In a statement released today, producer BBC Studios said: “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the stars is not negotiable. Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected to the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.
Chmerkovskiy sparked controversy the day after the show’s “Super Bowl Night” premiere, during which judge Carrie Ann Inaba offered a scathing critique of Chmerkovskiy’s wife’s performance, DWTS dance professional Jenna Johnson. Chmerkovskiy wrote in the since-deleted post, “You almost saw Fresh Prince walk into the ballroom last night.”
In response to the suspension, Chmerkovskiy released a statement through his representative, acknowledging his “poor decision” and “poor judgment,” saying he had not thought through his comment on TikTok before posting it.
Chmerkovskiy’s statement read: “Hello everyone. As you may have seen on the news, I will not be in the ballroom this week.
“At a time when my instinct was to defend my wife, I made the poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think about what else that reference might imply, which was truly never my intention. Carrie Ann certainly did not deserve to be caught in the middle of my poor judgment, and I hate that she was.
“The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is doing.
“Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna and everyone DWTS lots of love to the family at the dedication evening. I will be watching and cheering everyone on!!
Chmerkovskiy’s scrutinized post came in response to Inaba’s on-air criticism of an elevator move Johnson performed, in which she read the definition of an elevator and suggested Johnson should know more.
THE Fresh Prince The comment was in reference, unintentionally or not, to the infamous moment at the 2022 Academy Awards when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in the face after the latter made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Chmerkovskiy’s comment on TikTok was widely interpreted as suggesting, even jokingly, that he had considered taking similar steps as Smith, although the dancer later said he hadn’t thought that far ahead.
Regardless, the joke apparently escaped Inaba, who posted a since-deleted message on Instagram on Thursday saying, “So this is what we do now? Her post showed photos of Chmerkovskiy and Smith, and in the text of her post she thanked the New York Post And Weekly Entertainment “for bringing this to my attention.”
After posting the TikTok, Chmerkovskiy apologized, writing on Instagram: “I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. I reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally, and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand that my words affect so many people outside of our internal network. DWTS family. I should never have made the reference I did and I deeply regret it. I recognize that I am fortunate to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat this more carefully by actively stopping to think before posting to ensure that what I share is true to who I am and who I want to be for all of you.
Chmerkovskiy’s celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, is apparently aware of the pro’s temporary suspension and will dance with pro Alan Bersten next week in a show dedicated to her mother. Bersten had been paired with Giada De Laurentiis this season; the duo was eliminated in week 3.
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