What did Val Chmerkovskiy say about Carrie Ann Inaba? A short, now-deleted social media remark has pushed the “Dancing with the Stars” veteran out of the ballroom for a week. The comment was a reference to the 2022 Oscars slap. He made it after the longtime judge criticized his wife and fellow pro, Jenna Johnson, on the show’s Super Bowl Night.
The fallout moved fast. Within four days, the remark went from a screenshot on social media to a public apology, and then to a suspension announced by the show’s production company. As of Sunday, October 18, 2026, Chmerkovskiy will sit out the next episode, and his partner Jenna Dewan will dance with someone else.
Want the full picture behind the headlines? Here is a clear, step-by-step breakdown of what happened, what was said, and what it means for the rest of Season 35.
The Night That Started Everything
The trouble began on Tuesday, October 13, during Super Bowl Night. Jenna Johnson and her celebrity partner, actor Harry Shum Jr., performed a samba to Usher’s “Yeah!”
When the music stopped, Carrie Ann Inaba gave Johnson a pointed critique. She told the pro the routine needed more content. She also said it contained an illegal lift.
Johnson looked confused. She said she understood the lift rule to mean a dancer picking up their partner. Inaba then read the official definition aloud from the paper in front of her. It covers any movement in which a dancer has both feet off the floor with help from a partner.
As per entertainment news reports, the moment in question appears to involve troupe members helping Shum with a backflip.
Critiques of pros are rare on the show. Judges usually focus on the celebrity, which is why this exchange stood out, and it quickly became a talking point online.
The Lift Rule Debate
The rule itself divided fans and former pros almost immediately.
Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Val’s older brother and a former show pro, weighed in on a podcast. He argued that the rulebook language applies to a couple dancing, not to extra dancers in the background. His message to the judge was blunt: be consistent.
His wife, former pro Peta Murgatroyd, said she would have found the rule confusing too. She understood it the way Johnson did.
That is the context in which Val Chmerkovskiy made his comment. A fair debate about rules and scoring was already underway, and viewers were taking sides.
The Post That Crossed the Line
The day after the show, Chmerkovskiy posted to his TikTok Story. He wrote that viewers had almost seen the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom the night before.
The line referenced Will Smith, who famously walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards after a joke about Smith’s wife. Reading it next to a critique of his own wife, many people took it as a nod to that violent moment.
He also reportedly wrote a separate comment urging people to put some respect on Johnson’s name. That remark drew less attention than the Smith reference.
Chmerkovskiy deleted the TikTok after a short time. By then, screenshots were circulating widely.
Inaba’s Short Reply
Inaba did not see the post directly. She came across an entertainment outlet’s write-up of it on Instagram and shared it herself.
Her response was brief: “So this is what we are doing now?”
That one line carried a lot of weight. She did not issue a long statement or lash out. She simply put the screenshot in front of her own audience and let the question hang.
She has been a judge since the show premiered in 2005. She is known for strict, technical critiques, and she is also known for being a frequent target of fan debate.
The Apology Arrives
On Thursday, October 15, Chmerkovskiy posted an apology on his Instagram Story. He opened by apologizing “from the bottom of my heart” for his recent post.
He said he had reached out to Inaba directly and personally. He also wanted to apologize publicly because his words reach people well beyond the show’s own circle.
He called the post careless. He said he should never have made that reference and that he deeply regrets it.
He added that he is in a fortunate position, with a platform and an influence on some people. He said he needs to pause and think before posting, so that what he shares matches the person he wants to be.
Many fans were not satisfied. Some wanted a suspension. Others described the reference as equivalent to threatening violence against a woman.
The Show Steps In
On Saturday, October 17, the production company, BBC Studios, announced a decision. Chmerkovskiy will not take part in the October 20 episode, which is Dedication Night.
The company’s statement said the well-being of everyone who works on the show is non-negotiable. It called his post inappropriate and said it does not reflect the values expected of anyone connected with the show.
The statement refers to next week’s episode only. It does not set out any longer-term plan.
Val’s Own Words on the Suspension
Chmerkovskiy followed up with another public message the same day. He said his instinct was to defend his wife. He called referencing a meme a poor decision, made without stopping to think.
He also said he will not be in the ballroom this week. He said he did not want to become a distraction from an important week or from the work Dewan is putting in. He closed by asking fans to send love to Inaba, Dewan, and the whole show family.
Inaba had not publicly responded to the suspension as of the latest reports.
Who Dances With Jenna Dewan
The practical impact lands on Dewan, the actress who has been his Season 35 partner. She will dance with pro Alan Bersten on Dedication Night. Bersten was eliminated earlier this season alongside Giada De Laurentiis.
Dewan plans to dedicate her routine to her late mother’s memory, according to reports. Dedication Night is one of the most personal themes on the schedule, and switching partners in rehearsal week is not easy.
Her fiancé, actor Steve Kazee, spoke up in support of her after the news broke.
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy had been at the top of the leaderboard on Super Bowl Night. Their momentum now takes an unplanned pause.
Why This One Landed Differently
Pros push back on judges all the time, and that is part of the show’s appeal. This case was different, and the comparison with his brother’s reaction shows why.
Maksim criticized the judge’s consistency and the rulebook’s wording. That is a debate about scoring, and fans can agree or disagree.
Val’s post used a reference to a physical attack. Once violence is part of the picture, the argument is no longer about a lift rule at all. It becomes a question of conduct.
That is the key distinction in this story. The criticism itself was not the problem. The method was.
Think of a sports coach unhappy with a referee. A coach can argue a call in a press conference and stay within bounds. A coach who jokes about physically confronting the referee has changed the subject entirely. The league will respond to the second statement, not the first, and that is what happened here.
A Pattern Worth Noting
This is not the first time a Chmerkovskiy has publicly questioned Inaba’s critiques. Maksim did so on the dance floor years ago, and Val reacted on social media after a finale critique in 2024, according to reports at the time.
Those earlier moments were part of the show’s normal back-and-forth. What changed this time was the content of the message, not the fact that he disagreed.
What We Know Right Now
So, what did Val Chmerkovskiy say about Carrie Ann in the end? He referenced the Fresh Prince and Will Smith’s 2022 slap in a TikTok Story after her critique of Johnson. He deleted it. He apologized privately and publicly. The production company then benched him for Dedication Night.
Several details are still open. Inaba has not commented on the suspension. The production company’s statement covers only the October 20 episode. Nothing has been announced about Chmerkovskiy’s status beyond that.
“Dancing with the Stars” airs live on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC and Disney+. Dedication Night will show how Dewan handles a surprise partner switch, and how Inaba responds when the judges’ table meets the pros again.
Final Thoughts
The episode shows how quickly a single post can reshape a TV season. A routine rules dispute turned into a conduct issue the moment a violent reference entered the conversation.
It also shows how much the show’s own culture matters. The production company moved within days and framed its decision around the well-being of its people.
For viewers, the lesson is simple. Debate the scores, argue about the rulebook, and question the judges. But the line sits where a joke begins to sound like a threat.
Do you think a one-week suspension was the right response, or should it have gone further? Share your thoughts in the comments, and check back for updates after Tuesday’s Dedication Night episode.
Tell us where you stand on this DWTS drama, and stay tuned for every update from the ballroom!