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Carrie Ann Inaba had not publicly responded to the suspension as of our last check.
Val Chmerkovskiy, one of the best-known pros on “Dancing with the Stars,” is sitting out this week’s show. The ABC series has suspended him for one week over a social media post aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. Here is what he posted, what he said in his apologies, and who is dancing with Jenna Dewan in his place.
Key Takeaways
- Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended for one week from “Dancing with the Stars” and will miss Dedication Night on Tuesday, October 20, on ABC.
- The suspension follows a since-deleted TikTok post that appeared to reference Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized his wife, Jenna Johnson.
- Producer BBC Studios called the post “inappropriate” and said the well-being of everyone on the show is “non-negotiable”.
- Chmerkovskiy has apologized twice and said Inaba “didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment”.
- Alan Bersten will dance with Chmerkovskiy’s celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, this week.
Why Was Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended From DWTS?
BBC Studios, which produces the show, announced the suspension on Saturday, October 17. “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” the company said in a statement reported by NBC News and ABC News. “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.”
People magazine reported that it is the first suspension of a pro dancer in the show’s history.
The lift call that started it
On the Tuesday, October 13 episode, Super Bowl Night, Inaba said Jenna Johnson’s samba with actor Harry Shum Jr. included a lift. Lifts are traditionally not allowed in Latin dances, a rule Inaba has enforced before, NBC News noted.
When a confused Johnson asked, “Lift?”, Inaba read the definition from a sheet of paper: “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. Yeah. Lift.” Johnson later said, “I will take it, sure.”
The TikTok post
The next day, Chmerkovskiy, who is married to Johnson, posted a TikTok status that read: “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The post, since deleted, appeared to reference Will Smith, the former star of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars after Rock joked about Smith’s wife. Smith then shouted at Rock to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth.
What Val Chmerkovskiy Said in His Apologies
Chmerkovskiy apologized in an Instagram story on Thursday and said he had reached out to Inaba directly. “I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it,” he wrote, TVLine reported.
He also wrote: “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.”
After the suspension was announced, he posted a second statement on Saturday:
- On the reference: “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.”
- On Inaba: “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
- On the show: “The 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.”
- Sign-off: “Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
Who Replaces Val Chmerkovskiy on DWTS This Week?
Pro dancer Alan Bersten will partner Jenna Dewan for Dedication Night. Bersten had been eliminated in Week 3 with TV chef Giada De Laurentiis, ABC News and TVLine reported. Dewan’s routine will be dedicated to her mother, NBC News said.
BBC Studios said Dewan is aware of the change and has “continued to be professional and respectful of the process,” ABC News reported. The timing is tough for the pair. Dewan and Chmerkovskiy earned all nines from the judges on Super Bowl Night.
How to watch Dedication Night
- When: Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.
- Where: ABC, with live streaming on Disney+. Episodes stream the next day on Hulu.
- Who else: Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. are still competing.
What Has Carrie Ann Inaba Said?
Inaba posted about the TikTok on Instagram during the week, TVLine reported. As of Saturday night, she had not publicly responded to Chmerkovskiy’s apology or to his suspension, NBC News reported. TVLine said it had reached out to her for comment.
Reactions on social media have been mixed, based on posts summarized on X. Some fans back the show’s decision, while others think a one-week suspension is too harsh.
What Happens Next
BBC Studios’ statement covers only next week’s show. Whether Chmerkovskiy is back in the ballroom after that also depends on Dewan surviving Dedication Night, since couples can be eliminated each week. We will update this story if the show says more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Val Chmerkovskiy not on Dancing with the Stars this week?
BBC Studios suspended him for one week over a deleted TikTok post that appeared to reference Will Smith’s Oscars slap after judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued his wife’s dance.
What did Val Chmerkovskiy post?
He wrote, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” an apparent reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
Who is dancing with Jenna Dewan this week?
Alan Bersten, a DWTS pro who was eliminated in Week 3 with Giada De Laurentiis, will dance with Dewan on Dedication Night.
Did Val Chmerkovskiy apologize?
Yes. He apologized on Instagram twice and said he reached out to Inaba directly.
When does DWTS Dedication Night air?
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
Sources
- NBC News / TODAY – Val Chmerkovskiy gets one-week suspension on ‘Dancing with the Stars’
- ABC News / GMA – ‘Dancing with the Stars’ dancer Val Chmerkovskiy benched after ‘inappropriate’ social media post
- TVLine – Dancing With the Stars suspends Val Chmerkovskiy after ‘inappropriate’ social media post
- People – Val Chmerkovskiy pulled from ‘DWTS’ after Oscars slap comment
