Val Chmerkovskiy Benched From 'Dancing With the Stars' for a Week Over Carrie Ann Inaba Slap Joke

Dancing With the Stars fans, brace yourselves: one of the ballroom's most familiar faces is sitting out a week. Val Chmerkovskiy will not compete on the upcoming Dedication Night episode after a social media post about judge Carrie Ann Inaba, the show's producers announced on Saturday, October 17, according to Variety.

“Dancing With the Stars” is benching Val Chmerkovskiy after his recent "inappropriate" joke about judge Carrie Ann Inaba:

“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… pic.twitter.com/8ehwGvFVPc

— Variety (@Variety) October 17, 2026

Val Chmerkovskiy is responding to the news that he will not perform on next week's episode of "Dancing With the Stars" after making a controversial comment about judge Carrie Ann Inaba, saying his instinct in the moment was to "defend my wife":

“In a moment where my instinct… pic.twitter.com/QfzirUNkiv

— Variety (@Variety) October 17, 2026

After Val Chmerkovskiy received a one-week suspension from "DWTS" following his comments about judge Carrie Ann Inaba, his partner Jenna Dewan will dance with another pro on Dedication Night. https://t.co/B3HAgLZKtI pic.twitter.com/8451ezXK5k

— E! News (@enews) October 18, 2026

PEOPLE reports it is the first suspension of a pro in the series' history. That is a big deal for a dancer who has been on the show since its second season, per Variety.

How it started: one word, "Lift"

The drama began on the Tuesday, October 13 episode. Inaba critiqued Val's wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson, for including a lift in her samba with actor Harry Shum Jr., a move the Latin style traditionally does not allow, NBC News reports.

When a confused Johnson asked, "Lift?", Inaba read the definition straight off 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 took it in stride. "I will take it, sure," she said, per NBC News.

The post that crossed the line

Afterward, Chmerkovskiy posted to his TikTok story: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," as quoted by Variety and NBC News. Both outlets say the line appeared to reference Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. The post was quickly deleted, but Variety reports Inaba saw it and commented on her own Instagram, thanking the media for alerting her.

The show's response

BBC Studios, which produces the show, did not mince words. "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," the company said, as quoted by Variety. "As a result, he will not participate in next week's show."

Val's apologies

To his credit, Chmerkovskiy owned it, twice. On Thursday, October 15, he posted an apology on his Instagram Story, Variety reports: "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."

"I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward," he added.

After the suspension was announced, he explained that his instinct had been to defend his wife. "Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was," he wrote, per Variety.

And in true team-player fashion, he asked fans to keep the focus on the dancing. "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," he wrote. "Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on!!"

NBC News reports that Inaba has not responded publicly to the apology or the suspension.

Jenna Dewan's big night goes on

Here is the good news for Dewan's fans: she is still dancing. Variety reports she will team up with pro Alan Bersten, who was eliminated in week three, for 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."

A heartfelt waltz for Mom, a surprise new partner and a ballroom that has a lot to talk about. Dedication Night just became must-watch TV.