‘I made a poor decision’: Reality star suspended after controversial TikTok post
Professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from US reality series Dancing with the Stars after posting a controversial social media status.
The series veteran, 40, paired with actress Jenna Dewan in the TV competition, appeared to reference Will Smith’s notorious 2022 Oscars altercation in a now deleted TikTok post.
Dancing with the Stars veteran Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended for a week after social media post. Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sports Illustrated
The TikTok status, posted last week by Chmerkovskiy, was seemingly directed at series judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
The judge critiqued Chmerkovskiy’s wife, pro dancer Jenna Johnson who is also in the competition. The status was a reaction to her judging as the star defended his wife.
“You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” Chmerkovskiy wrote in the since-deleted status, multiple outlets report.
On Saturday (Sunday AEDT), the dancer was suspended from the reality competition, which he has been a part of for 15 years, as production company BBC Studios issued a statement.
“[The] well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” the statement read, as per NBC News.
“Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show,” the statement continued. “As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”
Chmerkovskiy took to Instagram to issue an apology following his suspension from the series.
Presenter Chris Rock, left, reacts after being hit on stage by Will Smith during the 2022 Oscars. Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
“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, which was genuinely never my intention,” he wrote in a statement posted to his Stories.
He was referring to Smith’s words to fellow actor Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f---ing mouth.”
“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was,” Chmerkovskiy continued
Chmerkovskiy and wife Jenna Johnson performing during Dancing with the Stars: Live! A Night To Remember in 2019. Mike Coppola/Getty Images
The star sent well-wishes for everyone on the show and revealed he had reached out to judge Inaba directly to apologise.
During a mid-week episode, the judge accused his wife Johnson of incorporating a lift into her samba routine. Lifts are traditionally prohibited in traditional ballroom and Latin dances.
When Johnson was confused by the critique, the judge spelled out the definition of a ‘lift’ while reading from a printed piece of paper.
Following news of Chmerkovskiy’s suspension, viewers appeared divided by the incident as they overtook the comments section of the star’s Instagram page.
“The fact you aren’t performing next week over STICKING UP FOR YOUR WIFE IS CRAZYYYY,” expressed one follower in a comment that’s amassed over 3,600 likes.
“I can feel that you feel badly but this is just insane. You didn’t do anything,” wrote another.
“He didn’t incite violence, he made a tasteless joke and then apologized,” said a third in defence.
Others argued his comment was “unnecessary”, and that Inaba was just doing her job as judge.
While some said if it were any other workplace, his reaction would be just as unacceptable, as one wrote: “There’s no room for nuance in the workplace. He messed up he’s getting a week off he will live.”
