# DWTS Pro Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended After Slap Joke

> DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy suspended for joking about slapping judge Carrie Ann Inaba after criticizing his wife's dance routine.
- Title: DWTS Pro Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended After Slap Joke · BuzzFeed
- Summary: DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy suspended for joking about slapping judge Carrie Ann Inaba after criticizing his wife's dance routine. Dancing With the Stars pro…
- Keywords: val chmerkovskiy, dancing with the stars, carrie ann inaba, jenna johnson, harry shum jr, dwts, bbc studios, suspension, entertainment, culture, Pro, Val
- Source: BuzzFeed — https://buzzfeed.com/jamieko/val-chmerkovskiy-dwts-suspended-carrie-ann-inaba-slap-joke
- Published: 2026-10-21T18:58:08+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: val chmerkovskiy, dancing with the stars, carrie ann inaba, jenna johnson, harry shum jr, dwts, bbc studios, suspension, entertainment, culture
## Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended
Dancing With the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended for one episode after making a joke about slapping judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
## Controversial Instagram Post
Val shared an Instagram story referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap incident when Chris Rock joked about his wife.
## Judge's Criticism
Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Val's wife Jenna Johnson for including an illegal lift in their samba routine.
## Val's Apology
Val apologized for referencing Will Smith's slap incident, saying he intended to joke about standing up for his wife.
## Public Reaction
Some defended Val as making a joke about his wife, while others called the reference inappropriate and demanded harsher punishment.
## Next Steps
Val's suspension remains for one episode, with Jenna Dewan competing without him on Oct 20.
## Key takeaway

Dancing With the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended for one episode after joking he'd slap judge Carrie Ann Inaba over a comment about his wife's dance routine.