Val Chmerkovskiy will not participate in the October 20 episode of *Dancing with the Stars* following a social media post about judge Carrie Ann Inaba. BBC Studios confirmed the one-week suspension on October 17, describing the post as inappropriate and inconsistent with the program’s standards. His celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, will remain in the competition and perform with Alan Bersten during Dedication Night. The change gives Dewan a different professional partner for an evening centered on personal tributes. [tvline.com](https://www.tvline.com/2289644/dancing-with-the-stars-val-chmerkovskiy-suspended-carrie-ann-inaba-season-35-abc/?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
The disagreement followed the October 13 episode, when Inaba questioned a lift during Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr.’s samba. Chmerkovskiy, who is married to Johnson, subsequently posted a comment that appeared to reference Will Smith’s confrontation with Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. The message was later deleted. Its reference drew criticism because it introduced an association with physical confrontation into a disagreement about dance judging. BBC Studios emphasized that the well-being of everyone working on the show was a priority. [vulture.com](https://www.vulture.com/article/val-chmerkovskiy-suspended-dwts.html?utm_campaign=feed-part\&utm_medium=social_acct\&utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Chmerkovskiy later apologized publicly and said he had contacted Inaba directly. He acknowledged that, while trying to defend his wife, he had used a reference without considering its broader implications. He said those implications were not his intention and accepted that Inaba should not have been placed in that position. His statement also recognized that the controversy risked distracting from Dewan’s preparation and the other performances. He encouraged viewers to support the participants during his absence. [ABC News](https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/dancing-stars-dancer-val-chmerkovskiy-benched-after-inappropriate/story?id=137351915\&utm_source=chatgpt.com)