Val References Will Smith Oscars Slap Amid Wife Jenna Criticism
The Hollywood Reporter • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Dancing With the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy defended his wife Jenna Johnson after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized her choreography during Super Bowl Night, sparking online debate.
- Inaba questioned the content and lifts in Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.'s samba performance, leading to a tense exchange on live TV and scores of 33/40 from the judges.
- Chmerkovskiy posted a TikTok Story referencing "Fresh Prince" that fans interpreted as an allusion to Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap, implying frustration with Inaba's critique; the post was later deleted.
- The TikTok video of Chmerkovskiy reacting in the skybox went viral, and he commented defending his wife without naming Inaba directly, calling for respect towards Johnson.
- ABC, Inaba, and Chmerkovskiy’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
