Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended for One Week From Dancing with the Stars After Lift Dispute

Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended for one week from Dancing with the Stars, after a social media post that followed a dispute over a dance move on air. The post came after judge Carrie Ann Inaba questioned a lift performed by his wife, pro dancer Jenna Johnson, on the show's October 13 episode.

In a lift, one dancer holds or hoists the other into the air. Inaba and Johnson had a tense exchange on that episode about what counts as a lift under the show's rules. Chmerkovskiy then posted, "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," according to Deadline. The line was a reference to the 2016 Oscars moment when Will Smith walked on stage and slapped Chris Rock after a joke about Smith's wife.

The show's production company, BBC Studios, called the post "inappropriate." It said the post did not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the programme. Chmerkovskiy has since deleted the comment and apologised to Inaba. He said he made a poor decision by referencing a meme, and that he was trying to keep his wife's name out of the conversation.

Inaba spoke about the situation in an Instagram post on Tuesday, October 27. She explained that she had stayed quiet until now out of professional courtesy. Judges are also kept apart from the competitors by standards and practices, the internal rules that networks and production teams use to keep the programme fair and on the right side of its own guidelines.

She said she and Johnson had "hugged it out after the Super Bowl show," and called Johnson an absolute professional. Inaba added that she later learned Johnson had been deeply hurt. She said she had offered to talk with Johnson at any time, including about the lift rule and how Inaba applies it.

The bigger question for the show may be the rule itself. Inaba called for a new lift rule to be written for next season. She proposed a session that would bring together all dancers and judges to talk through how the rule was first defined and why. She said the rule was set by Len Goodman, the original producers and herself, and that its purpose is safety and fairness.

Former pro Louis van Amstel, who danced on the original Dancing with the Stars, has also weighed in. He said Inaba was "right to call out" the lift that led to Chmerkovskiy's suspension, according to People.

For viewers, the immediate change is simple. Chmerkovskiy will be off the show for a week. Whether the lift rule changes, and what it might say, will not be decided until the show's next season is planned.