Val Returns to Dance Floor

Val Chmerkovskiy stood in the ballroom on Tuesday night, the stage lights cutting through the dark as he prepared to dance. He had been absent for one week, a pause forced by a dispute that spilled from the studio floor onto social media. Now, with the suspension lifted, he returned to the competition, ready to address the friction that had defined the previous broadcast.

The conflict began on Oct. 13 after judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Chmerkovskiy’s wife, Jenna Dewan. That same night, Chmerkovskiy posted a video to his TikTok story stating, "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night." The line referenced Will Smith’s slap at the 2022 Academy Awards. BBC Studios, which produces the series, labeled the joke inappropriate and benched the professional for one week.

Upon his return, Chmerkovskiy addressed Dewan directly during their pre-dance segment. He told the audience, "We are back together. I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful." Dewan accepted the apology, replying, "I forgive you…I missed you."

The tension between Chmerkovskiy and Inaba seemed to dissipate as the evening wore on. After the performance, the two shared an embrace, a moment captured by cameras and shared across social media platforms. Chmerkovskiy later described the interaction to People magazine as "cathartic relief." He said he wanted Inaba to know he wanted "nothing but love for her" and that he had "nothing but respect for what she has to say."

Inaba provided her own account of the events in a lengthy Instagram post earlier on Tuesday. She explained that she had remained silent due to professional courtesy and internal standards that keep the judges and dancers separated. "I think a part of this ‘headline’ has missed a few important parts of what happened," she wrote. She noted that she and Dewan hugged after the Super Bowl show and that Dewan acted as an absolute professional during that moment.

Inaba also addressed the technical aspect of the critique. She offered to discuss the lift rule and how she enforces it, referencing a video by Sharona Burgess that explains which dances allow assists and which do not. "I think in the future, a new lift rule should be created for next season," Inaba concluded. She stated that working to create better understanding between judges, dancers, and the audience is a goal she has formally requested.