Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended From DWTS After 'Fresh Prince' Slap Post

Val Chmerkovskiy is sitting out the next episode of Dancing with the Stars after a since-deleted TikTok post that appeared to reference Will Smith's 2022 Oscars altercation with Chris Rock. The post read: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night." Per NBC News, BBC Studios announced the one-week suspension on Saturday, October 17, 2026.

The post was a response to judge Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of Chmerkovskiy's wife, pro dancer Jenna Johnson. On the Tuesday episode, Inaba disputed a samba Johnson performed with her celebrity partner Harry Shum Jr., reading from a printed sheet: "A lift is any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time." Per Yahoo Entertainment, the audience went silent.

Johnson kept her composure on camera. She told co-host Julianne Hough: "I will take it. Sure." Page Six reported she cried backstage after the exchange.

Chmerkovskiy then posted the Will Smith reference on TikTok. A second post on the same video read: "Puts some respect on her name. She's trippin talking to her like that." Both posts were later deleted.

BBC Studios moved the same week. Its statement said: "The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable." The studio called the post "inappropriate" and said it "does not reflect the values or standards" of the show, adding that Chmerkovskiy "will not participate in next week's show."

The speed of that response is the tell. DWTS is built on choreographed tension between pros, celebrities, and judges. When a contestant argues with a judge, that is programming. When a pro posts a slap reference directed at a judge, it threatens the entire frame. Inaba's authority to critique, score, and occasionally irritate people is what gives the show its stakes. A post that implies physical threat to that authority does not just cross a line with a person. It undermines the format.

Chmerkovskiy apologized on Instagram Stories. He wrote that he made "a poor decision to reference a meme" without considering what else it could imply. He said he reached out to Inaba directly: "I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post." He acknowledged her role in the incident: "Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment."

Inaba posted to Instagram after the story broke, writing: "So this is what we are doing now?" She has not publicly commented beyond that.

His celebrity partner Jenna Dewan will dance with pro Alan Bersten on Dedication Night, which is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20. Dewan will perform a number dedicated to her mother.

Ad Watch News is an independent commentary site with no affiliation with Val Chmerkovskiy, Carrie Ann Inaba, or BBC Studios. This piece draws on published sources listed below.

Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended From DWTS After 'Fresh Prince' Slap Post

Sources & further reading

Hilary Swank, 52, Announces Third Baby. The Age-Shaming Crowd Showed Up. So Did Her Answer.

Busfield Charges Tossed: Jurors Wanted Witnesses. The DA Said No.

Sydney Sweeney Made Her Business Plan at 11. Here Is the Career That Proves It.