In Brief:
- Val Chmerkovskiy will miss Dancing With the Stars' Dedication Night after a deleted post referencing Will Smith's Oscars slap.
- BBC Studios called the post inappropriate; Jenna Dewan will dance with Alan Bersten on Oct. 20.
- Chmerkovskiy apologized to judge Carrie Ann Inaba after she critiqued his wife, Jenna Johnson.
Val Chmerkovskiy: Val Chmerkovskiy will sit out the next Dancing With the Stars episode. It is Dedication Night.
The move follows a controversial online remark about Will Smith's infamous Oscars slap.
The remark came after judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Chmerkovskiy's wife, Jenna Johnson.
Production company responds
BBC Studios, the company behind the show, announced the decision in a statement. It said the well-being of everyone who works on the series is non-negotiable.
It called the post inappropriate. It said the post does not reflect the values expected of anyone tied to the show.
As a result, Chmerkovskiy will miss next week's episode.
A new partner for Dewan
Chmerkovskiy is paired with Jenna Dewan this season. It is the show's 35th.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dewan will dance with Alan Bersten on the Oct. 20 episode.
Bersten was eliminated earlier this season. He had been partnered with Giada De Laurentiis.
Chmerkovskiy speaks out
Chmerkovskiy also issued his own statement. He said his first instinct was to defend his wife.
He admitted he made a poor decision. He said he used a meme reference to keep his wife's name out of the conversation.
He said he did not stop to think about what else the reference could imply. He insisted that was never his intention.
He said Inaba did not deserve to be caught in the middle. He said he hates that she was.
He added that he does not want to become a distraction. He does not want to overshadow the work Dewan is putting in.
He asked fans to send love to Inaba, Johnson and the entire show family. He said he will be watching and cheering everyone on.
How the controversy started
It began during the Super Bowl Night episode. Johnson and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr., performed a samba.
Inaba then gave Johnson her notes. Johnson is a mirrorball champion.
Inaba said Johnson needed to add more content to her routines. She noted that Shum is very skilled.
She said she wanted Johnson to challenge herself more. She also mentioned a lift. Johnson asked her what she meant.
Inaba pulled out a sheet of paper with the definition of a lift. She read it aloud on the live broadcast.
A lift, she said, is any move in which one dancer has both feet off the floor at once with help from a partner.
The post and the fallout
On Wednesday, Chmerkovskiy posted a short story on social media.
He wrote that viewers nearly saw the Fresh Prince walk into the ballroom the night before.
The nickname refers to Will Smith. The post stayed live for at least six hours. It was later deleted.
Inaba fired back on Thursday. She asked whether this is what everyone is doing now.
She shared a screenshot of a news report about the comment. It sat beside a split image of Smith and Chmerkovskiy.
Chmerkovskiy apologized the same day. He said he apologized from the bottom of his heart.
He said he had contacted Inaba to apologize directly and personally. He also chose to apologize publicly.
He said his words affect many people outside the show's inner circle.
He said he should never have made the reference. He said he deeply regrets it.
He acknowledged that he has a platform and is a role model to some. He promised to pause and think before he posts.
He wants his posts to reflect who he is and who he wants to be.
Fans weigh in
One online fan discussion filled up with theories about the post. Many users said it likely pointed to the moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock over a comment about his wife. Some commenters went further. They alleged Chmerkovskiy wanted to slap Inaba for telling Johnson to step it up.
Dewan stays focused
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy have scored consistently well. They rose to the top of the leaderboard on Super Bowl Night.
The Hollywood Reporter understands that Dewan knows her partner is out for the week.
She has stayed professional. She has respected the process.
Her focus now is on paying tribute to her mother with her Dedication Night dance.
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