Val Dancing With The Stars Season 35 Suspension: The hit celebrity dance reality show Dancing With The Stars Season 35 is making headlines for an unexpected reason: pro dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy’s reported suspension. Yes, you read that right! Val will be missing from the Dancing With The Stars Season 35 Week 7 episode, titled ‘Dedication Night’.
Dancing With The Stars Season 35: Why Is Val Suspended From DWTS Dedication Night Episode?
The controversy surrounding Val Chmerkovskiy’s reported suspension from Dancing With The Stars 2026 can be traced back to last week’s Super Bowl Night. During the Season 35, Week 6 episode, judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized his wife, Jenna Johnson. For those unfamiliar, Jenna is paired with actor Harry Shum Jr. for the current season.
Dare I say…one of the most awkward interactions in Dancing with the Stars history? 😳Carrie Ann went OFF. Harry & Jenna COULD NOT believe what she was saying 🤯#DWTS https://t.co/Vwd9BF14r2
— BET99 Canada (@BET99CA) October 14, 2026“>
The situation escalated when Val shared a since-deleted TikTok featuring the text, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The remark appeared to reference Will Smith’s infamous slap controversy with comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Following the backlash over his post, Val addressed the controversy through his Instagram Story and issued an apology. He admitted that his comment reflected “poor decision” and “bad judgment,” acknowledging that he had not properly considered the implications of his TikTok post before sharing it.
‘DWTS’ pro Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes to Carrie Ann Inaba for invoking Will Smith’s Oscars slap during dispute over her critique of his wife’s prohibited lift with Harry Shum Jr.:“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally, and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal DWTS family. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it.”
— Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) October 16, 2026“>
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally, and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal DWTS family. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it,” Val wrote.
“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was,” he added.
Dancing With The Stars 2026 Week 7: Who Will Replace Val On Dedication Night As Jenna’s Pro-Partner?
Following Val Chmerkovskiy’s reported one-week suspension, his celebrity partner, actress Jenna Dewan, will take to the ballroom with professional dancer Alan Bersten for Dancing With The Stars Season 35, Week 7’s special Dedication Night episode.
For those unfamiliar, Alan was previously partnered with celebrity contestant Giada De Laurentiis this season. However, their journey on the show came to an end when they were eliminated in Week 3.