DWTS Val Chmerkovskiy Faces Consequences After Carrie Ann Inaba Controversy

BBC Studios announced on Saturday that Dancing with the Stars pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy will be absent from next week’s episode of the show. It comes after his apology to Carrie Ann Inaba. Read on for more details.

The Update On Val

The statement, which was sent out to some of the bigger tabloids, explained that his original, now-deleted social media post about Carrie Ann was unacceptable and contrary to the show’s standards of conduct and workplace safety.

Cosmopolitan reported that his one-show suspension is “due to his ‘Oscar Slap’ comment.” The outlet cited the statement as saying:

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. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.

Who Will Dance With Jenna?

According to ABC News, next week, Jenna Johnson will “dance with pro dancer Alan Bersten, who was eliminated in Week 3, for this Tuesday’s Dedication Night.”

As we reported previously, following harsh feedback from judge Carrie Ann Inaba regarding Jenna Johnson’s samba dance, DWTS pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy shared a video online.

In the post, he referenced Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap, suggesting he came close to storming the stage during the live taping.

Soap Opera Spy reported that the incident lit up social media, and when he apologized, many folks believed he had nothing to apologize for. But the incident highlighted a lot of division, with others saying that the joke wasn’t funny and sent a message that it was okay to threaten violence against a woman.

Reactions To The Suspension

The updated news that Val Chmerkovskiy has been punished with a suspension also generated a lot of talk among DWTS fans.

On the r/popculturechat subreddit, one person wrote, “Carrie Ann is not perfect or consistent but she shouldn’t have threats of violence for doing her job!”

Here are a few more reactions from the discussion:

• “I dont get why the pros on this show get so heated. Its a competition for nothing. Nothing is at stake for these people. Their 9 to 5 is teaching Al Roker to do the Tango. Half of these people have been on this show for 20 years so its not like its performace based. They gotta chill out.”
• “I am surprised. I did not expect them to suspend him.”
• “Maybe he shouldn’t be on the show with his wife if he can’t keep his emotions in check.”

Your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and then come back for more Dancing with the Stars news and updates.