Val Chmerkovskiy to sit out Dancing With the Stars after joke about Carrie Ann Inaba

Val Chmerkovskiy will sit out next week's Dancing With the Stars after a deleted social media joke about judge Carrie Ann Inaba.

BBC Studios, which makes the show, said his post was inappropriate and did not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with it, according to Variety. The decision, reported on 17 October, removes one of the season's professional dancers for one week but keeps his celebrity partner in the contest.

The dispute began on the 13 October episode. Inaba criticised pro dancer Jenna Johnson for including a lift in her routine and read aloud the definition of a lift. Johnson is married to Chmerkovskiy, a fellow pro on the series.

After the episode, Chmerkovskiy wrote on his TikTok story: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night." The post did not stay up long. It was deleted soon after it appeared. The remark was a reference to Will Smith's slap at the 2022 Oscars, as reported by TV Insider.

Inaba later addressed the comment on her own Instagram and thanked the media for alerting her to it. Chmerkovskiy then posted a public apology on his Instagram Story on Thursday, 15 October. He said he had contacted Inaba to apologise directly and personally.

What makes this stand out is the speed of the turnaround. A critique on Tuesday, a deleted post, an apology on Thursday, and then a new pairing for the next live show.

For viewers, the immediate change is who stands beside Jenna Dewan. Dewan, Chmerkovskiy's partner this season, will still dance during dedication week, when each couple honours someone important in their life. She will be paired instead with fellow pro Alan Bersten for the performance. Bersten was eliminated in week three of the current season, but returns for this one-off pairing.

The routine itself will go ahead as planned. Dewan will dance a Viennese waltz to "Unchained Melody," dedicated to her mother. The dedication theme asks each couple to base their dance on a personal story.

The incident follows a separate online discussion earlier in the month about Chmerkovskiy's hairstyle. After criticism of his decision to wear cornrows, he said he loved the look and wanted to support a local Black business, according to Yahoo. That exchange is separate from the BBC Studios decision on next week's show.