Val Chmerkovskiy Hit With One-Week Suspension on ‘Dancing With The Stars’
TODAY.com • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended for one week from "Dancing With The Stars" following an inappropriate TikTok post referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars altercation, which was deemed inconsistent with the show's values.
- The post was made in defense of his wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson, after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Johnson's samba routine for including a prohibited lift.
- Chmerkovskiy issued a public apology, acknowledging poor judgment and expressing regret for involving Inaba, while also sending well wishes to the cast during his absence.
- Jenna Dewan, Chmerkovskiy's current partner on the show, will perform with pro Alan Bersten in the upcoming episode, which is dedicated to Dewan's mother.
- The incident follows heightened tensions during the Oct. 13 episode, where Inaba firmly enforced dance rules, leading to the initial criticism that sparked Chmerkovskiy's controversial response.
