BBC Studios Benches Val Chmerkovskiy Over Carrie Ann Inaba Slap Joke

BBC Studios has pulled Val Chmerkovskiy from next week's "Dancing With the Stars" after his social media joke invoking the Will Smith slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. The decision, announced in a statement on Saturday, sidelines a dancer who has appeared on the show since its second season.

"The well-being of everyone who works on 'Dancing with the Stars' is non-negotiable. Val's social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show," BBC Studios said. "As a result, he will not participate in next week's show."

What did Chmerkovskiy post?

The incident traces to the October 13 episode. Judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Jenna Johnson — Chmerkovskiy's wife — for a lift in her routine and read her the definition of the violation. Chmerkovskiy then posted to his TikTok story: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night." The line referenced Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars after saying, "Keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth."

The post was deleted quickly. But Inaba saw it, and commented on her own Instagram, thanking the media for alerting her to the remark.

How did Chmerkovskiy respond?

Chmerkovskiy apologized twice. On Thursday, he wrote on his Instagram Story: "I 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."

After the suspension was announced, he posted a longer statement on Instagram framing the post as a misfired defense of his wife. "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," he wrote. "Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was."

He added: "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. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on!!"

What happens to Jenna Dewan?

Dewan will still dance during Dedication Week, Variety confirms. She has been re-paired with Alan Bersten, who was eliminated in week three. Dewan will perform a Viennese waltz to "Unchained Melody," dedicated to her mother.

"Jenna Dewan is aware and has continued to be a true professional and respectful of the process," a source told Variety. "Jenna is a beloved part of the 'Dancing with the Stars' family, and we are grateful for the joy and positivity she brings to the show."

Why the joke landed harder on Inaba

Inaba has faced sustained hostility from the ballroom audience — criticism and booing that her male fellow judges, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli, do not receive. She described that history to Variety during Season 34.

"It 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," she said. "Sometimes the things they say are cruel, and that has affected me. It's made me scared. It's not so much that I get hurt as I get afraid, because it feels like they're attacking me verbally, so I shrink down a little during the season, especially after week five or six."

BBC Studios has not said how long the suspension will last, leaving Chmerkovskiy's return to the ballroom an open question as Dedication Night proceeds without him.