Val Chmerkovskiy and Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba appear to have made amends after the dancer’s one-week suspension from the show, with the pair seen embracing at the end of the Tuesday 27 October “Horror Night” episode. The heartfelt moment, reported on 27 October and followed by fresh support for Chmerkovskiy in reports published on 6 November, marks the closing of one of the show’s most talked-about controversies this season.
The row began during the 14 October live show, when Inaba critiqued the choreography of Chmerkovskiy’s wife, fellow professional dancer Jenna Johnson, who partners Harry Shum Jr. this season. Johnson pushed back on the criticism, and the exchange grew tense. The next day, Chmerkovskiy defended his wife on social media, first in TikTok comments and then in a TikTok Story that read: “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The comment was widely viewed as a reference to Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards.
A suspension and a public apology
On 17 October, BBC Studios, which produces the ABC dance competition, announced a one-week suspension for the two-time Mirrorball champion. “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing With the Stars is non-negotiable,” the company said in a statement. “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.” The suspension, covering the 20 October episode, was reported as the first known suspension of a professional dancer in the show’s history.
Chmerkovskiy deleted the post and apologised on Instagram the same day. “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,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories. He added that Inaba “certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment”, and said he had reached out to the judge directly to apologise.
Support, return and a hug on camera
During his suspension, Chmerkovskiy’s celebrity partner Jenna Dewan danced with Alan Bersten for Dedication Night. He returned for the 27 October episode, and in the rehearsal package he apologised to Dewan for the controversy. “We are back together. I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful,” he said. At the end of the episode, Inaba and Chmerkovskiy were seen embracing behind the judges’ table in a video posted to Reddit. Although their conversation cannot be heard, Chmerkovskiy appears to say “I’m sorry”, as Inaba shakes her head and seemingly accepts his apology.
Support has continued since his return: talk show host Sherri Shepherd, who competed with him in 2012, told Us Weekly she texted him right away and defended him in reports published on 6 November.
Related: Jenna Dewan gets Alan Bersten after Val DWTS suspension and DWTS Disney Night: Julia Stiles eliminated in shock exit.
