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Alfonso Ribeiro Explains Val Chmerkovskiy’s “DWTS” Absence with 7 Words at Start of Live Show
Yahoo News Singapore • • general
Key Points:
- Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended from Dancing with the Stars for the first time after posting a social media comment referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap, directed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba following her critique of his wife Jenna Johnson's performance.
- Chmerkovskiy apologized publicly and privately to Inaba, acknowledging his poor judgment and expressing regret for causing distraction during an important week on the show.
- Alan Bersten replaced Chmerkovskiy for the October 20 episode, dancing with Jenna Dewan in a Viennese waltz dedicated to Dewan's mother, Nancy.
- BBC Studios, the show's producer, condemned Chmerkovskiy's post as "inappropriate" and emphasized that the well-being of everyone involved with the show is a top priority.
- The suspension was not directly mentioned on-air, but co-host Alfonso Ribeiro confirmed Chmerkovskiy's absence and the substitution by Bersten during the live broadcast.
