Dancing with the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy will not be seen in the ballroom next week following an inappropriate social media post aimed at judge Carrie Ann Inaba. The decision marks the first pro suspension in the history of the hit competition series.

The controversy began during Super Bowl Night when Carrie Ann offered sharp criticism of Val’s wife, fellow pro dancer Jenna Johnson, and her partner Harry Shum Jr. After Carrie Ann penalised the couple for an illegal lift and instructed them to add more content to their routines, Jenna was reportedly left crying backstage.

In response, Val, 40, took to social media to defend his wife, posting a reference to Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap. "You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," Val wrote in a since-deleted post, adding elsewhere that Carrie Ann was "trippin talking to her like that".

BBC Studios swiftly issued a statement taking disciplinary action. "The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable. Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show."

Val, who reached out personally to apologise to Carrie Ann, shared an Instagram statement reflecting on his actions. "In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention," Val stated. "Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgement, and I hate that she was."

He added, "The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in."

Jenna Dewan will dance alongside Alan Bersten for the upcoming Dedication Night episode while Val serves his one-week suspension.

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