Dancing With the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy will sit out next week's show after a social media post referencing Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap landed him in hot water with the show's producers. On October 17, 2026, BBC Studios announced the dancer has been suspended for one week and will miss the "Dedication Night" episode airing Tuesday, October 20 — reportedly the first pro suspension in the series' history.
The critique that started it all
The trouble began on October 13 during the show's "Super Bowl Night." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba delivered a sharp critique of fellow pro Jenna Johnson — Chmerkovskiy's wife — and her celebrity partner, actor Harry Shum Jr., calling out a rule-breaking "lift" in their samba routine and reading the definition of a lift aloud during her feedback. She scored the couple an 8, and Chmerkovskiy could be seen in the background shaking his head in disagreement.
The following day, Chmerkovskiy took to TikTok to defend his wife. In a comment he wrote, "Put some respect on her name. She's trippin talking to her like that," and in a now-deleted TikTok story he added: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night." The line was widely read as a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — and sparked an immediate backlash. Inaba herself reacted on Instagram, writing: "So this is what we're doing now?"
BBC Studios draws the line
On Saturday, BBC Studios issued a statement: "The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing With the Stars is non-negotiable. Val's social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week's show."
Chmerkovskiy, who joined the show as a pro in Season 13 in 2011, addressed the suspension in an Instagram Story: "In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to 'keep my wife's name' out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention. Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was."
What happens to Jenna Dewan?
Chmerkovskiy's Season 35 celebrity partner, actress Jenna Dewan, will still dance on October 20 — but with a substitute pro. Alan Bersten, who was eliminated in week three alongside celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis, will step in for a routine Dewan is dedicating to her mother. "The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in," Chmerkovskiy said. "I'll be watching and cheering everyone on."
Whether the ballroom forgives as quickly as the judges score remains to be seen — but Chmerkovskiy is expected back the following week.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Silly Fun (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources: Entertainment Weekly, TheWrap, People, Just Jared