Dancing With the Stars has benched one of its most successful pros. Val Chmerkovskiy, a three-time Mirrorball Trophy winner, has been temporarily suspended and will not compete in Tuesday, October 20's Dedication Night episode, after a since-deleted social media post referencing Will Smith's infamous 2022 Oscars slap of Chris Rock.
The post — 'You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night' — came in response to judge Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of his wife Jenna Johnson's performance. BBC Studios, which produces the show, said the post was inappropriate and did not reflect the standards expected of anyone connected with the programme, adding that the well-being of everyone who works on the show is non-negotiable.
Chmerkovskiy apologised directly to Inaba and publicly, calling the post a 'poor choice' made while instinctively defending his wife. 'Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgement,' he wrote, asking fans to send love to Inaba and to his partner Jenna Dewan during Dedication Night.
Dewan will still dance: Alan Bersten, eliminated earlier this season, steps in to partner her for a Viennese waltz to the Righteous Brothers' 'Unchained Melody,' dedicated to Dewan's mother, Nancy. Chmerkovskiy, a pro on the show since Season 2 who won with Rumer Willis, Laurie Hernandez and Xochitl Gomez, is expected back after the one-episode suspension.
