Val Chmerkovskiy is officially benched.
The DWTS pro announced he will not be competing on Tuesday’s Dedication Night following an insensitive remark he made about judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
In a statement shared to his Instagram Story, Val once again apologized to Carrie Ann and confirmed his one-week suspension.
“In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention,” he wrote on Oct. 17.
“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
ICYMI: Carrie Ann criticized Jenna Johnson’s choreography during Harry Shum Jr.’s Super Bowl Night samba, pointing out the lack of traditional samba content and calling out a lift in the routine.
Traditionally, lifts are not allowed in most ballroom dance styles.
Carrie Ann also encouraged Jenna to push herself further with the choreography, especially considering Harry’s previous dance experience.
However, Val took offense to the criticism of his wife and later joked that viewers “almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom.”
The comment seemingly referenced the infamous 2022 Oscars moment when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock onstage after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Val later apologized for the remark, but the DWTS pro has now confirmed there will be additional consequences.
Val’s celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, will reportedly dance with pro Alan Bersten during Dedication Night. Her performance will be dedicated to her mother.
