Val Chmerkovskiy suspended

Val Chmerkovskiy suspended from Dancing With The Stars for a week after TikTok joke referencing Will Smith's Oscars incident.

Joke about Fresh Prince

Chmerkovskiy joked on TikTok that 'You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night' after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized his wife's performance.

“You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night”

Apology to Inaba

Chmerkovskiy apologized to judge Carrie Ann Inaba and dance partner Jenna Dewan after posting the TikTok joke.

“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”

BBC Studios statement

BBC Studios stated Val Chmerkovskiy's social media post was inappropriate and did not reflect the show's values, leading to a one-week suspension.

“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”