Carrie Ann Inaba Addresses Val Chmerkovskiy's 'DWTS' Suspension

Carrie Ann Inaba has addressed the controversy surrounding professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy's one-week suspension from "Dancing with the Stars." Inaba, a judge on the ABC competition series, posted a black-and-white image of the ballroom on Instagram, stating she was "looking forward to a heartfelt night of dedications." She captioned the photo with "Always and forever team Dancing with the Stars," accompanied by heart and mirrorball emojis.

Chmerkovskiy was suspended for a week after making a comment on social media directed at Inaba following her critique of his wife, Jenna Johnson. Inaba had called out Johnson for including a lift during her dance routine with Harry Shum Jr. on October 13, defining it as a movement where "one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner."

The following day, Chmerkovskiy posted a since-deleted TikTok video in which he said, "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night." This comment alluded to Will Smith's infamous Oscars incident involving Chris Rock. Chmerkovskiy also wrote on another clip, "Puts some respect on her name. Shes trippin talking to her like that."

BBC Studios confirmed Chmerkovskiy's suspension in a statement to The Daily Mail, asserting that "the well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable." The statement continued, "Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show."

Alan Bersten, another pro dancer, is set to fill in for Chmerkovskiy and dance with Jenna Dewan this week. A source told TMZ that Chmerkovskiy was informed of his suspension for one episode due to company procedure.

Reports varied regarding Inaba's reaction. While one source told TMZ that she reported Chmerkovskiy to the human resources department of BBC Studios, feeling "threatened" by the comment and "demanding" a response, a separate insider told E! News that Inaba had not filed any complaints to HR prior to Chmerkovskiy's suspension.

In the wake of his suspension, Chmerkovskiy issued an apology on Instagram. "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," he stated. "Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was."

Chmerkovskiy added that his "last thing" he sought was "to become a distraction" and expressed his support for the remaining contestants. He concluded, "Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!"

Insiders told TMZ that Chmerkovskiy has had no prior complaints filed against him and has accepted the decision as he prepares for his return next week. A source close to the show told The Daily Mail that Johnson "loves that her man stuck up for her but also wishes he had chosen a different approach," acknowledging the competitive nature of the show and the potential consequences for their careers.