Val Chmerkovskiy’s controversial comments about Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba reportedly began weeks before his Will Smith joke led to a one-week suspension. The DWTS pro previously joked about damaging Inaba’s car after she criticized his partner, Jenna Dewan.
The resurfaced remark came as Chmerkovskiy faced scrutiny over his recent comments about the longtime judge.
Val previously commented about damaging Carrie Ann Inaba’s car
As per Page Six, Chmerkovskiy made the earlier remark during a Sept. 29 interview with Entertainment Tonight. At the time, Inaba had criticized Dewan for going “too hard” during their samba performance.
Dewan responded positively to the feedback and said she planned to “work with” Inaba’s advice. Chmerkovskiy then interrupted, saying, “I know where [Inaba] parks her car.”
He reportedly followed the comment by joking about giving the vehicle a “different design,” suggesting he could key it. The exchange happened about two weeks before another remark involving Inaba sparked a bigger controversy.
During the Oct. 13 DWTS episode, Inaba criticized a lift performed during Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.’s routine. Johnson, who is married to Chmerkovskiy, disagreed with the judge’s assessment.
Chmerkovskiy later posted a now-deleted social media message saying viewers “almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom.” The remark appeared to reference Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
BBC Studios subsequently suspended Chmerkovskiy for one episode, calling his post inappropriate and stressing the importance of workplace well-being. Alan Bersten stepped in to dance with Dewan during Chmerkovskiy’s absence.
Chmerkovskiy later apologized publicly and said he had also contacted Inaba directly. He acknowledged that he made a “poor decision” while trying to defend his wife and said he regretted allowing the situation to become a distraction.
