Val Chmerkovskiy has apologized to Carrie Ann Inaba after referencing Will Smith in a since-deleted social media post. The Dancing With the Stars pro made the remark while defending his wife, Jenna Johnson, following Inaba’s critique of her latest performance.
Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes to Carrie Ann Inaba after Will Smith Oscars slap reference
The controversy began during the October 13 episode of DWTS, when Inaba critiqued Johnson and her partner, Harry Shum Jr., for including an illegal lift in their samba. Johnson questioned the ruling, prompting Inaba to read the show’s definition of a lift.
Following the episode, Chmerkovskiy appeared to reference Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slap in a since-deleted TikTok. “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” he wrote. The remark was widely interpreted as a reference to Smith, who played the title character on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air before slapping Chris Rock during the 2022 Academy Awards.
Inaba later addressed the post on Instagram. She shared a screenshot of the remark and wrote, “So this is what we are doing now?” She also thanked Page Six and Entertainment Weekly for bringing it to her attention.
Chmerkovskiy subsequently apologized in an Instagram Story on October 15. He said, “I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post.” He added that he had reached out to Inaba “directly and personally” to apologize.
Chmerkovskiy added, “I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it.” “I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward.”
Johnson, meanwhile, acknowledged Inaba’s criticism after the episode. According to a report by People, she told Extra that she heard and respected the judge’s feedback, despite initially being confused by the lift ruling.
The dispute centered on a moment in which two troupe dancers helped Shum off the floor during the routine. Johnson later said she understood Inaba’s position and accepted the feedback.
Chmerkovskiy’s brother, former DWTS pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, also defended the performance. He questioned whether the lift rule should apply in the same way when background dancers are involved.
For now, Chmerkovskiy has acknowledged that his reference crossed a line and apologized to Inaba both privately and publicly.
