- Val Chmerkovskiy posted a since-deleted TikTok referencing Will Smith’s Oscars slap while defending his wife, Jenna Johnson, after judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave her harsh feedback on Dancing With the Stars’ Super Bowl Night episode.
- Fans criticized Val’s post for its violent undertones, prompting him to delete it; however, he continued defending Jenna in other comments.
- Val’s brother, Maks, and his wife, Peta Murgatroyd, also defended Jenna on The Viall Files podcast, arguing that Carrie Ann applied the DWTS rulebook inconsistently regarding lifts and background dancer involvement in choreography.
When Val Chmerkovskiy isn’t nailing choreo in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom, the pro is most likely stirring the pot behind the scenes. After Mariah Carey Night’s BraidGate, Val is at the center of more controversy as he defends his wife, Jenna Johnson, from Carrie Ann Inaba’s harsh critiques.
After Carrie Ann gave Jenna and Harry Shum Jr.’s Super Bowl Night performance some stern feedback, Val posted a since-deleted TikTok status that seemingly referenced Will Smith’s infamous slap at the 2022 Oscars.
“You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” he reportedly wrote, per a fan-captured screenshot obtained by Page Six that was also posted under one of his recent TikToks.
While fans agreed that Carrie Ann’s feedback was harsh, they called Val out for the violent undertones of his post, which seemingly insinuated that he would have hit her as Will Smith hit Chris Rock while defending Jada Pinkett-Smith at the Oscars.
“Bro that joke ain’t it,” one person wrote, while another chimed in, “Sounds like a threat to me!!
Val took down the Oscars slap post amid the backlash, but he still defended Jenna with another comment under a different post that showed his facial expressions as she received Carrie Ann’s feedback.
“Puts some respect on her name. Shes trippin talking to her like that,” he wrote.
