Val Chmerkovskiy suspended from Dancing With the Stars for one week over TikTok referencing Will Smith slap
BBC Studios suspended Val Chmerkovskiy from Dancing With the Stars for one week after a deleted TikTok referencing Will Smith's Oscars slap, posted in defence of wife Jenna Johnson following judge Carrie Ann Inaba's critique.
BBC Studios has suspended professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy from Dancing With the Stars for one week after a since-deleted TikTok in which he appeared to reference Will Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slap.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” BBC Studios said in a statement issued on Saturday. “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 statement was reported by Deadline and The Wrap.
On Wednesday, Chmerkovskiy responded to a clip of his wife, fellow pro dancer Jenna Johnson, and her celebrity partner Harry Shum Jr. receiving their scores after judge Carrie Ann Inaba called out a rule-breaking lift in their dance. “Put some respect on her name. She’s trippin’ talking to her like that,” he wrote, according to Page Six. He then escalated in a TikTok Story: “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” per People — a line widely read as a threat echoing Smith, who stormed the Oscars stage and slapped Chris Rock over a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith.
Inaba later posted on Instagram thanking outlets for flagging the post, writing: “So this is what we are doing now?”
Following news of the suspension, Chmerkovskiy shared a statement with media: “In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme… Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment.” He added he did not want to distract from “the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in” and said he would be cheering on during Dedication Night. Dewan is scheduled to perform next week with Alan Bersten in a routine dedicated to her mother.
Chmerkovskiy had previously apologised on Instagram Stories on Thursday, writing that he had reached out to Inaba directly and “should have never made the reference that I did.”
Read next: Val Chmerkovskiy coverage on Flip News · Harry Shum Jr. and Jenna Johnson’s DWTS journey
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