Dancing With the Stars removes Val Chmerkovskiy after inappropriate social media post
Dancing With the Stars announced on Saturday that professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy will not appear in next week's episode following an inappropriate joke about judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
Show statement explains removal
BBC Studios stated that the well-being of all staff is non-negotiable for the production. The network said Chmerkovskiy's social media post was inappropriate and did not reflect expected standards. As a result, he will not participate in next week's show.
Chmerkovskiy issues apology
Val Chmerkovskiy shared a statement on Instagram admitting he made a poor decision to reference a meme. He explained his instinct was to defend his wife, Jenna Johnson, without stopping to think about other implications. He expressed regret that judge Carrie Ann Inaba was caught in the middle of his bad judgment.
Context from recent episode
During the October 13 episode, judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Jenna Johnson for a lift in her routine. Afterward, Chmerkovskiy posted on social media referencing the definition of that specific lift to keep his wife's name out of the conversation.
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