Val Chmerkovskiy Made Car-Related Joke About Carrie Ann Inaba Weeks Before DWTS Suspension
The 'Dancing With the Stars' pro's remark came in a September interview, predating his social media post that led to his one-week suspension.
Weeks before his suspension from "Dancing With the Stars," professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy made a joke referencing Carrie Ann Inaba's car. The remark occurred in a September 29 interview with Entertainment Tonight, where Chmerkovskiy commented on Inaba criticizing his partner, Jenna Dewan, for performing too intensely.
As Dewan discussed adapting to Inaba's feedback, Chmerkovskiy interjected, "I know where [Inaba] parks her car." He added, "I’m just saying, like, if she doesn’t want a different design…" Dewan responded with laughter, while maintaining her intention to learn from the critique.
Chmerkovskiy acknowledged that Inaba's feedback regarding their samba performance was accurate, stating, "Carrie Ann is right. I guess I was frustrated only because we did address that this week."
His comments to Entertainment Tonight surfaced shortly after his social media post, which led to his suspension. The post, made on TikTok and since deleted, was widely interpreted as a reference to Will Smith's on-stage incident at the Oscars. BBC Studios deemed the post "inappropriate" and announced Chmerkovskiy's one-week suspension, emphasizing that the well-being of those working on the show is paramount and that his post did not align with the program's values.
Chmerkovskiy later apologized to Inaba via his Instagram Story, admitting to making a "poor decision."
He will be temporarily replaced by Alan Bersten for the upcoming "Dedication Night" episode. While the suspension reportedly took him by surprise, Chmerkovskiy is said to have handled the situation gracefully and will watch the broadcast from home.