Deadline: Val Chmerkovskiy Gets a One-Week Suspension From Dancing With the Stars

A post, a judge and a week off

Val Chmerkovskiy will miss next week's Dancing With the Stars after producer BBC Studios suspended him over a TikTok post, Deadline reported. The since-deleted post appeared to reference Will Smith's 2022 Oscars slap after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized a lift in a routine by his wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson.

How the show handled it

BBC Studios said the post was inappropriate and did not reflect the standards expected of anyone connected with the show. Chmerkovskiy apologized, called it a poor decision made while trying to defend his wife, and said he had reached out to Inaba directly.

What changes in the ballroom

His celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, will dance with pro Alan Bersten next week, per Deadline. For anyone whose job comes with a public profile, the lesson is plain: a quick post online can carry the same weight as anything said at work.