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Val Out Next DWTS Episode, Jenna Dewan Dance With Alan
The Hollywood Reporter • • general
Key Points:
- Val Chmerkovskiy will be absent from Dancing With the Stars’ Dedication Night episode after making a controversial reference to Will Smith’s Oscars slap while defending his wife, Jenna Johnson, against judge Carrie Ann Inaba’s critique.
- BBC Studios stated that Chmerkovskiy’s social media post was inappropriate and did not align with the show’s values, leading to his suspension for the upcoming episode.
- Jenna Dewan, Chmerkovskiy’s current partner, will dance with Alan Bersten for the Oct. 20 episode; Dewan remains professional and focused on her Dedication Night performance honoring her mother.
- Chmerkovskiy publicly apologized to Carrie Ann Inaba, acknowledging his poor judgment in referencing the incident and expressing regret for causing distraction during an important week.
- The controversy stemmed from a TikTok Story where Chmerkovskiy alluded to the Will Smith-Chris Rock Oscars incident, which many interpreted as a threat toward Inaba after her comments on Johnson’s dance performance.
