Val Chmerkovskiy is preparing to return to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom after a brief suspension. The professional dancer will reunite with his partner, Jenna Dewan, at rehearsals following a controversy involving judge Carrie Ann Inaba. His social media post sparked concern and led to a complaint. Now, Chmerkovskiy is ready to move forward after publicly apologizing.
Val Chmerkovskiy will reunite with Jenna Dewan following his suspension
Sources told Page Six that Chmerkovskiy will return to rehearsals after his one-week suspension. One source said the decision surprised him, but he accepted it gracefully and understood the situation. He watched Tuesday’s DWTS Dedication Night episode from home while Alan Bersten filled in for him. Bersten had previously left the competition with his partner, Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, during Week 2.
The controversy began after Chmerkovskiy posted a selfie referencing Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap of Chris Rock. He shared the post after his wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson, faced criticism from Inaba. BBC Studios, which produces the show, called his post inappropriate and said it did not reflect the program’s standards. The company also stressed that everyone’s well-being remained a priority.
Inaba later responded to the since-deleted post, writing, “So this is what we’re doing now?” Page Six reported that sources close to production said she filed an HR complaint because she felt threatened. Chmerkovskiy then issued a public apology to Inaba. He explained that he wanted to defend his wife but made a poor choice by referencing the meme.
“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was,” he said. He also added that he did not want to disrupt an important week or Dewan’s efforts. Dewan had earned strong scores this season and topped the leaderboard during Super Bowl Night.
During Tuesday’s broadcast, host Alfonso Ribeiro explained that Bersten was dancing with Dewan because Chmerkovskiy was absent. The show continued with Dewan and Bersten performing together for Dedication Night.