Val Chmerkovskiy apologized to Carrie Ann Inaba on Saturday after Dancing With the Stars pulled him from the show’s Dedication Night episode over a social media post referencing the 2022 Oscars slap. The move, announced Oct. 17, came days after Chmerkovskiy posted a TikTok that quoted Will Smith’s infamous line to Chris Rock, telling Inaba to “keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.”
The post followed Inaba’s critique on the Oct. 13 episode of an illegal lift in the Super Bowl Night samba performed by Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Jenna Johnson, and her partner Harry Shum Jr., according to Variety. Chmerkovskiy deleted the post quickly, but Inaba saw it and addressed it in a comment on her own Instagram.
Chmerkovskiy’s Apology And The DWTS Benching
Chmerkovskiy, 40, who has danced on the show since its second season, issued a statement explaining what led to the post and acknowledging the fallout it caused for Inaba, 58.
“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 said, according to Variety. “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
He also addressed his absence from Dedication Night directly. “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,” he said. “Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
BBC Studios, which produces the series, said in a statement that Chmerkovskiy’s post was inappropriate and did not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show.
What It Means For Dewan And The Dedication Night Lineup
With Chmerkovskiy sidelined, Jenna Dewan has been paired with Alan Bersten, who was eliminated from competition in week three, according to Us Weekly. Dewan is set to perform a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers, a routine dedicated to her mother, Nancy.
Johnson, 32, a two-time mirrorball champion, and Inaba later resolved their dispute over the illegal lift call, according to Us Weekly, though the clash remained the spark for Chmerkovskiy’s post and subsequent benching.
Background On The Dispute
The conflict traces back to Inaba’s judging of the Johnson and Shum Jr. samba during Super Bowl Night, when she flagged the lift as against the rules. Chmerkovskiy’s since-deleted TikTok response, invoking the Smith-Rock incident from the 2022 Academy Awards, drew immediate attention before BBC Studios announced his removal from the Dedication Night broadcast.
What’s Next
Dancing With the Stars has not said whether Chmerkovskiy’s benching extends beyond Dedication Night. Bersten is set to perform with Dewan in his place for the dedicated episode, while Chmerkovskiy said in his statement that he plans to watch the show rather than compete in it this week.
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