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Val Chmerkovskiy suspended from 'DWTS' over Will Smith slap reference
Fox News • • general
Key Points:
- Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from "Dancing With the Stars" for one episode after making an inappropriate social media reference to Will Smith’s Oscars slap while defending his wife, Jenna Johnson.
- This marks the first known suspension of a professional dancer in the show's history, as confirmed by BBC Studios, the show's producer.
- The controversy began after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Johnson and her partner Harry Shum Jr. during a recent episode, prompting Val's now-deleted TikTok post referencing the "Fresh Prince" incident.
- Val issued a public apology to Inaba, acknowledging his poor judgment and emphasizing that he did not intend to cause harm or distraction from the competition.
- During Val’s suspension, Jenna Dewan will dance with pro Alan Bersten, who was previously eliminated in Week 2.
