Val Chmerkovskiy‘s absence from Dancing With the Stars comes after offscreen drama that led to a suspension.
Audience members will notice that Chmerkovskiy, 40, isn’t joining Jenna Dewan during season 35’s Dedication Night on Tuesday, October 20. Instead, Alan Bersten is taking over as Chmerkovskiy is sitting out one week of the hit competition show.
The decision came after Chmerkovskiy got involved when judge Carrie Ann Inaba offered feedback to his wife, Jenna Johnson. Inaba, 58, was critical of Johnson’s samba with Harry Shum Jr. during Super Bowl Night due to an illegal lift in the routine.
“A lift is — I just need to say it — any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner,” Inaba said during the October episode. “Yeah. Lift.”
Johnson, 32, initially seemed shocked before clarifying that she “would never do something intentionally” with her performance that “would break the rules.”
“You know what, it’s hard, because usually when someone’s called out for a lift, it’s when your partner lifts you,” she told Extra after the show. “So I was definitely unaware of, like, two guys that weren’t myself rolling back Harry and lifting him. But I absolutely hear Carrie Ann.”
Johnson added: “She’s a judge for a reason. She’s gonna do her job, I’m gonna do mine. I’m gonna take the feedback.”
Chmerkovskiy, meanwhile, stepped in and showed support for his wife via social media comments. One of those posts sparked an investigation by BBC Studios, which led to Chmerkovskiy being suspended from Dedication Night.
Keep scrolling for a full breakdown of the drama:
What Led to Val Receiving Backlash?
Shortly after Johnson received feedback from Inaba about her illegal lift, Chmerkovskiy was seen in the background of the live episode shaking his head. He later raised eyebrows when he seemingly made a reference to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum Will Smith slapping host Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
“You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” he wrote in a since-deleted social media post.
How Did Val Address the Drama?
Inaba replied to Chmerkovskiy’s post with one of her own, which read, “So this is what we are doing now? … Thank you @pagesix and @entertainmentweekly for bringing this to my attention.” Chmerkovskiy quickly issued an apology after his post received backlash.
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post,” he wrote via Instagram. “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 our internal DWTS family.”
He added: “I recognize that I 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 I am, and who I want to be for you all. I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward. ❤️.”
Why Did Val Get Benched?
Multiple outlets reported that Chmerkovskiy’s public apology triggered an investigation by BBC Studios, which produces DWTS. The protocols in place at BBC Studios led to Chmerkovskiy getting suspended for one week. (They also shut down speculation that the dancer’s suspension was the result of an HR complaint.)
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing With the Stars is non-negotiable,” read a statement to Us. “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.”
Has Val Acknowledged His Absence?
Chmerkovskiy addressed the decision to have him sit out Dedication Night, writing via Instagram, “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.
Chmerkovskiy explained that he didn’t want to “become a distraction from an important week,” adding, “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was. … Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
The pro later offered a glimpse at him spending time with his and Johnson’s 3-year-old son, Rome. Johnson, for her part, hasn’t addressed Chmerkovskiy’s absence directly and instead has remained focused on her respective dance with partner Shum, who encouraged the public to choose kindness.
“Reminder that this is a dance show. It is supposed to be joyous,” Shum wrote via Instagram. “People are suffering in the world already, so let’s celebrate each other with more love.
