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How a controversial lift on 'Dancing With the Stars' and a reference to Will Smith's Oscars slap led to pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy's suspension
Yahoo • • general
Key Points:
- During the Oct. 13 episode of Dancing With the Stars, judge Carrie Ann Inaba accused contestants Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson of performing an illegal "lift" move in their samba routine, which is against traditional samba rules.
- Johnson clarified that she believed the lift rule applied only to principal dancers and not backup troupe members, but accepted the judge's feedback.
- Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Johnson's husband and a professional dancer on the show, criticized Inaba on Instagram using a controversial reference to the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars incident, leading to his suspension for one week by BBC Studios.
- Alan Bersten was announced as Chmerkovskiy's temporary replacement for the next episode, marking the first suspension in Dancing With the Stars history.
- Chmerkovskiy issued a public apology, acknowledging poor judgment in his social media post and expressing regret for involving Inaba, emphasizing his support for the show and fellow contestants.
