# Val Chmerkovskiy Apologizes for Will Smith Slap Comment

> DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes after referencing Will Smith's Oscars slap in response to Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of Jenna Johnson's routine.
- Title: Val Chmerkovskiy Apologizes for Will Smith Slap Comment
- Summary: DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes after referencing Will Smith's Oscars slap in response to Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of Jenna Johnson's routine. DWTS…
- Keywords: val chmerkovskiy, carrie ann inaba, jenna johnson, will smith, dancing with the stars, oscar slap, samba routine, lift move, entertainment, celebrity, Val, Chmerkovskiy
- Source: E! Online — https://eonline.com/news/1437143/val-chmerkovskiy-apologizes-to-carrie-ann-inaba-for-will-smith-slap-remark
- Published: 2026-10-16T02:09:59+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: val chmerkovskiy, carrie ann inaba, jenna johnson, will smith, dancing with the stars, oscar slap, samba routine, lift move, entertainment, celebrity
## Val Chmerkovskiy Apologizes
DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy issued an apology to Carrie Ann Inaba after referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap in response to her critique of Jenna Johnson's samba routine.

> I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post
## Inaba Critiques Johnson's Routine
Inaba called out Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. for implementing a lift in their samba routine, which is prohibited in competitive samba.

> any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner
## Chmerkovskiy's TikTok Status
Chmerkovskiy changed his TikTok status to 'You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night' after Inaba's critique.

> You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night
## Fan Speculation
Fans speculated Chmerkovskiy was referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap where he told Chris Rock to 'keep my wife's name out of your f, king mouth'.

> keep my wife's name out of your f, king mouth
## Chmerkovskiy's Apology
Chmerkovskiy apologized publicly for his careless post, saying he would do better moving forward.

> I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post
## Johnson's Response
Jenna Johnson acknowledged Inaba's feedback as valid, saying they would take the critique in the competition context.

> This is a competition. There are judges for a reason. They do need to give feedback. So, yeah, we will take it
## Chmerkovskiy's Regret
Chmerkovskiy regretted referencing Will Smith's slap, saying he should have paused before posting to ensure his words aligned with his values.

> I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it
## Key takeaway

DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy apologized for referencing Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap after Inaba criticized Jenna Johnson's samba routine for using a lift.