Val Chmerkovskiy responds to one-week suspension from Dancing with the Stars
Jenna Dewan will perform with Alan Bersten on October 20 while her regular partner sits out the show.
Val Chmerkovskiy has acknowledged his one-week suspension from Dancing with the Stars after a social media comment about judge Carrie Ann Inaba drew criticism. The suspension was announced on October 17, and he will miss the October 20 episode.
In a statement provided to Just Jared, the 40-year-old professional dancer said he had made a poor decision while trying to defend his wife, Jenna Johnson, whose dance Inaba had criticized. He said he had not considered the implications of his reference and had not intended them, adding that Inaba did not deserve to be drawn into the situation.
His earlier post invoked Fresh Prince, which many interpreted as an allusion to Will Smith’s slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. Chmerkovskiy apologized following the backlash.
His partner this season, actress Jenna Dewan, will remain in the competition. Alan Bersten will step in for the October 20 Dedication Night episode, when Dewan will perform a dance dedicated to her mother. Bersten previously partnered with Giada De Laurentiis before their elimination in Week 2.
