Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | TV | October 20, 2026
Not to get too deep into this Dancing with the Stars controversy, which ended with the suspension of pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, but TMZ is annoying me (what else is new?), and someone should push back.
A quick recap: During last week’s episode, judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued the choreography of pro dancer Jenna Johnson, whose celebrity partner is Harry Shum Jr. After the show, Chmerkovskiy, who is married to Johnson, posted to TikTok, “You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” That’s an unmistakable reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. Inaba responded on social media: “So this is what we’re doing now?” Chmerkovskiy deleted the post and apologized. On Saturday, he was suspended for a week anyway.
Now TMZ is reporting that Chmerkovskiy was suspended because Inaba complained, and the subtext isn’t subtle: Carrie Ann Inaba is a thin-skinned whiner who can’t take a joke. TMZ is treating her complaint as the scandal. But why shouldn’t she complain? A colleague publicly joked about slapping her because she did her job.
Yes, Inaba is the toughest of the judges. Yes, the audience boos her for it on a regular basis. But that’s her job. Nearly every reality competition panel has one hard-ass who eats the crowd’s guff, and nearly every reality competition needs one. Without her, the show is a parade of compliments. The celebrities need that one judge they have to work extra hard to impress, so that when she’s finally won over, it feels earned. It’s good for the show.
Threatening that judge, even as a “joke,” is not cool. A deleted post and a quick apology aren’t consequences, so Inaba stood up for herself. Then Chmerkovskiy got suspended. That’s how these things should work. Carrie Ann Inaba complained because she had something to complain about. Good for her.
