Dancing With the Stars professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended for one week after making controversial comments on social media about Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. He will miss next week's Dedication Night themed episode, marking the first suspension of a pro in the show's history.
Post referenced Oscars incident
The now-deleted post referenced Smith slapping Rock at the Oscars after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The comment came after DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticised Chmerkovskiy's wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson, for using multiple extras to assist in an alleged illegal lift during her latest routine with partner Harry Shum Jr.
Chmerkovskiy wrote in the deleted post: "You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," a clear reference to Smith storming the stage and smacking Rock in the face in 2022.
Chmerkovskiy apologises
In an Instagram statement, Chmerkovskiy confirmed he would sit out the next week, saying: "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 added: "Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgement, and I hate that she was." Chmerkovskiy also said he had reached out personally to Carrie Ann to apologise.
BBC Studios responds
BBC Studios, which produces DWTS, said in 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."
Jenna will instead dance with Alan Bersten for Dedication Night, after Bersten was eliminated earlier in the series. Chmerkovskiy said he recognised he is in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model, and that he needs to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before he posts.
