Dancing With the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from the ABC competition for one week after a social media post that appeared to reference Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap, aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. BBC Studios, which produces DWTS Season 35, announced the suspension on Oct. 17, 2026, confirming the longtime pro will miss the Oct. 20 "Dedication Night" episode.
The move marks, per People, the first suspension of a professional dancer in the series' history.
A samba critique that struck a nerve
The trouble began during the show's "Super Bowl Night" on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Chmerkovskiy's wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson, performed a samba with celebrity partner Harry Shum Jr. to Usher's "Yeah!" When the critiques came, Inaba said she had "loved every minute" of the routine but felt it needed "more content" — and flagged what she considered an illegal lift in the choreography.
When Johnson questioned the call, asking "A lift?", Inaba read the ballroom definition aloud: "When one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner." Chmerkovskiy could be seen in the background shaking his head as the scores were announced.
Johnson herself took the feedback in stride, telling Extra afterward: "I absolutely hear Carrie Ann and she's a judge for a reason. She's doing her job, I'm gonna do mine."
The "Fresh Prince" post
Her husband did not take it in stride. In a since-deleted TikTok post, Chmerkovskiy wrote, "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night" — a line widely read as a reference to Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. In a comment, he added, "[Put] some respect on her name. [Carrie Ann's] trippin talking to her like that."
The post went viral, and Inaba responded on Oct. 15, sharing a screenshot of the coverage on Instagram with the caption: "So this is what we are doing now?" Chmerkovskiy apologized publicly the same day, saying he had reached out to Inaba "to apologize directly and personally" and calling his post careless.
One week on the sidelines
The apology was not enough to keep him in the ballroom. On Saturday, BBC Studios issued its ruling:
"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 addressed the decision in an Instagram Story statement: "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."
He added: "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. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on!!"
What comes next
Dewan, his Season 35 celebrity partner, will still compete on "Dedication Night" — she will be paired with Alan Bersten, eliminated earlier this season with Giada De Laurentiis. Their routine will be dedicated to Dewan's mother, Nancy. Chmerkovskiy, a three-time DWTS champion, is expected back after the one-week suspension.
Dancing With the Stars airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST/PST on ABC and Disney+. Whether the ballroom welcome is warm when Chmerkovskiy returns is another question — but the show's message is clear: a careless post can cost you a week of music.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Silly Fun (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0