Val Chmerkovskiy addresses 'DWTS' suspension – See who's replacing him now - USA Today
Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from 'Dancing with the Stars' following controversial comments he made regarding judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The choreographer apologized for referencing a violent meme involving Will Smith, stating he never intended to cause a distraction.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the intersection of reality television, social media conduct, and the professional consequences of public figures referencing controversial pop culture moments.
Hear this story Val Chmerkovskiy is speaking out about his "Dancing with the Stars" suspension .
In a statement shared via Instagram Stories on Saturday, Oct. 17, the choreographer – whose Season 35 partner is Jenna Dewan – addressed his upcoming absence from the competition series' Oct. 20 episode.
The suspension news arrived days after Chmerkovskiy seemingly suggested he wanted to slap Carrie Ann Inaba like Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022.
"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," he wrote.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in