Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended From 'Dancing With the Stars' Over Oscars Slap Reference
The professional dancer will miss an upcoming episode after a deleted social media post referenced Will Smith's infamous Academy Awards incident.
Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from "Dancing With the Stars" and will miss Tuesday's "Dedication Night" episode after making a social media post that appeared to reference Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap. The incident marks the first known suspension of a professional dancer in the show's history, according to ABC.
BBC Studios, which produces the ABC dance competition, confirmed the disciplinary action on Saturday, stating that Chmerkovskiy's post was "inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show."
The controversy began after "DWTS" judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Chmerkovskiy's wife, fellow pro dancer Jenna Johnson, and her celebrity partner, actor Harry Shum Jr., for a lift in their samba routine during "Super Bowl Night." Inaba even read the definition of a lift during her critique.
In response, Chmerkovskiy, 40, posted a now-deleted TikTok video that read, "You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night." The comment was widely interpreted as a reference to Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at the Academy Awards.
Chmerkovskiy has since apologized to Inaba both publicly and privately. He explained on his Instagram Stories that his "instinct was to defend my wife" and that he made a "poor decision to reference a meme... without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply." He added that he "hates" that Inaba was caught in the middle of his "bad judgment."
He also stated that he did not want the controversy to overshadow the upcoming episode or distract from his celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan. "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 wrote. "Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole ‘DWTS’ family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!"
Dewan will temporarily dance with pro Alan Bersten, who was eliminated in Week 2 with his celebrity partner, Giada De Laurentiis.