Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | October 19, 2026
Last week, we discussed the controversy surrounding Dancing with the Stars’ professional dancer, Val Chmerkovskiy. Over the weekend, the show suspended him.
Here’s the brief rundown: Last week, judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued the choreography of professional dancer Jenna Johnson, who is partner with celebrity Harry Shum, Jr. It was awkward, and also unusual for one of the pros to get a dressing down by a judge. The next day, Val Chmerkovskiy — who is married to Jenna Johnson — wrote in a now deleted TikTok that “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” a clear reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.
“So this is what we are doing now?” Inaba responded.
Chmerkovskiy did delete the post and apologize, but the show nevertheless suspended him for a week. On this week’s Dedication Night, Chmerkovskiy’s celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, will dance with pro Alan Bersten (eliminated earlier this season with his partner, Giada De Laurentiis.
“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,” BBC Studios, the production company behind Dancing, said in a statement.
Chmerkovskiy also released a statement addressing his suspension.
“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. Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was. 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!!”
That’s a lot of controversy for what is reality competition watched by families. It also probably means an awkward moment or two on this week’s episode.
