ABC's hit television program Dancing with the Stars benched one of its professional dancers in October after he made a violent joke aimed at one of the DWTS judges following her critique during a recent episode.
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In a statement obtained by Variety, BBC Studios said that Dancing with the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy would be sidelined for one episode over a social media post aimed at one of the show's judges, Carrie Ann Inaba.
"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," BBC Studios said in a statement on Saturday (October 17). "As a result, he will not participate in next week's show."
Dancing with the Stars Benches Pro Over 'Inappropriate' Post
To bring things up to speed, Val is married to fellow DWTS professional dancer Jenna Johnson, who is partnered with Harry Shum Jr. this season. On the Tuesday, October 13 episode of the program, Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Johnson and Shum's samba for having a "lift" and read Johnson the definition of a lift. Val responded on social media, using a callback to Will Smith's viral moment at the March 2022 Oscars, when he slapped Chris Rock over a joke Rock made about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith, before telling him to "keep [his] wife's name out of his m***********n mouth."
"You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," Val wrote on TikTok.
Chmerkovskiy also quickly deleted the post. He expressed remorse for his actions in a statement.
"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," he said in the statement. "I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann and everyone whom I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward."
