‘Dancing With The Stars’ Suspends Val Chmerkovskiy For TikTok Referencing Will Smith Oscar Moment; Dancer Responds, “Instinct Was To Defend My Wife”

Val Chmerkovskiy is being suspended from Dancing with the Stars for a week after he posted a controversial TikTok message that seemed to reference Will Smith’s 2022 Oscar slap.

In a statement released today, BBC Studios said, “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. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”

Chmerkovskiy sparked the controversy the day after the show’s first “Super Bowl Night,” during which judge Carrie Ann Inaba offered a withering critique of the performance of Chmerkovskiy’s wife, DWTS pro Jenna Johnson. Wrote Chmerkovskiy in the since-deleted post, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”

The Fresh Prince comment refers to the infamous Oscar-night moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock across the face after the latter made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

Chmerkovskiy’s celebrity partner Jenna Dewan is apparently aware of the pro’s temporary suspension and will dance with pro Alan Bersten next week in a performance dedicated to her mother.

After he posted the TikTok, Chmerkovskiy apologized, writing on Instagram, “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 should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it. I recognize that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am, and who I want to be for you all.”