Carrie Ann Inaba addresses Val Chmerkovskiy's 'DWTS' suspension
Carrie Ann Inaba addressed the suspension of 'Dancing With the Stars' pro Val Chmerkovskiy following a backstage conflict involving his wife, Jenna Johnson. Inaba emphasized her desire for professional standards and a clearer definition of lift rules in future seasons.
Why it matters
The incident highlights internal tensions and the need for standardized judging protocols in high-profile reality television competitions.
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Make Page Six a Preferred Source “Dancing With the Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba is breaking her silence on pro Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension .
In the comments section of her latest Instagram post , Inaba explained that she had not addressed the controversy out of “professional courtesy” to those still competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy.
“We actually have standards and practices that keep us separated,” Inaba, 58, wrote on Sunday. “But I think a part of this ‘headline’ has missed a few important parts of what happened.”
During the hit competition series’ “Super Bowl Night” on Oct. 13, Inaba and pro Jenna Johnson, Chmerkovskiy’s wife, clashed over a lift during Johnson and her partner Harry Shum Jr.’s samba.
Johnson, 32, reportedly “broke down” backstage following the tense exchange while Chmerkovskiy, “who was pissed” about the incident, “comforted” her.
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