{"id":885984,"date":"2026-10-17T22:56:12","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T22:56:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/885984\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T22:56:12","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T22:56:12","slug":"dancing-with-the-stars-pulls-val-chmerkovskiy-after-carrie-ann-inaba-slap-joke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/885984\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Dancing With the Stars’ Pulls Val Chmerkovskiy After Carrie Ann Inaba Slap Joke"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\t\u201cDancing With the Stars<\/a>\u201d is benching Val Chmerkovskiy<\/a> after his recent joke about judge Carrie Ann Inaba<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThe well-being of everyone who works on \u2018Dancing with the Stars\u2019 is non-negotiable. Val\u2019s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show,\u201d BBC Studios said in a statement on Saturday. \u201cAs a result, he will not participate in next week\u2019s show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tChmerkovskiy shared a statement of his own following the announcement that he will not be in the ballroom, writing on Instagram, \u201cIn a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to \u2018keep my wife\u2019s name\u2019 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\u2019t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe continued, \u201cThe 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\u2019ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisney<\/p>\n

\n\tFor context, during the Oct. 13 episode of \u201cDancing With the Stars,\u201d judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Jenna Johnson (who is married to Chmerkovskiy) for having a lift in her routine, and read her the definition of said lift. Afterward, Chmerkovskiy posted to his TikTok story, \u201cYou almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,\u201d seemingly referencing Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, after saying, \u201cKeep my wife\u2019s name out of your fucking mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe post was quickly deleted, but Inaba saw it and commented on her own Instagram<\/a>, thanking the media for alerting her to his remark.<\/p>\n

\n\tChmerkovskiy, who has appeared on \u201cDancing With the Stars\u201d since the second season, later apologized to Inaba and the viewers he upset, posting the following message on his Instagram Story on Thursday: \u201cI want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally, and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal DWTS family. I recognize that l am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who l am, and who I want to be for you all. I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJenna Dewan, Chermkovskiy\u2019s partner, will still dance at dedication week, Variety confirms, and will be paired with Alan Bersten, who was eliminated in week three. Dewan will be dancing a Viennese waltz to \u201cUnchained Melody,\u201d dedicated to her mother.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cJenna Dewan is aware and has continued to be a true professional and respectful of the process,\u201d the source tells Variety. \u201cJenna is a beloved part of the \u2018Dancing with the Stars\u2019 family, and we are grateful for the joy and positivity she brings to the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring Season 34, Inaba opened up to Variety about the criticism and constant booing<\/a> she receives in the ballroom \u2014 something the male judges, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, do not.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt used to really affect me. I have been targeted with this kind of negativity since the show began, back when we had chat rooms. I remember seeing some horrible words written about me, and I was shocked,\u201d she shared. \u201cSometimes the things they say are cruel, and that has affected me. It\u2019s made me scared. It\u2019s not so much that I get hurt as I get afraid, because it feels like they\u2019re attacking me verbally, so I shrink down a little during the season, especially after week five or six.\u201d<\/p>\n