Maks Chmerkovskiy reveals 'rift' at DWTS as brother Val is suspended: 'Don't know how they can navigate through this'

Former Dancing With The Stars professional Maks Chmerkovskiy has suggested that the hit ABC/Disney+ series is at a turning point as the latest series has found itself under scrutiny.

This past week saw professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy – Maks' brother – suspended after posting a meme, aimed towards judge Carrie Ann Inaba, that hinted she deserved the slap Will Smith gave to Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

The aftermath has led to hateful comments posted on Carrie Ann's social media accounts, former professional dancer Gleb Savchenko proclaiming himself "Team Val," and Val's partner Jenna Dewan – already struggling to find viewer support because of her own professional background – stuck in the middle.

Maks' says DWTS is at a turning point

"Dancing with the Stars was seeing an incredible renaissance, but last year we finished feeling 'wow, this is incredible,' and this year we're like, 'whoa,'" he told HELLO!

"The social media [support] that brought [the show] to this point is seemingly causing a lot of rift, all of the drama is coming from that same social media."

Speaking at the 2026 Gala of the Stars benefitting Dancers Against Cancer, Maks acknowledged that social media had given fans "a lot of access and a lot of opportunity to speak out – and it's not always a positive sort of feedback."

Maks' own experience was different

"This is something I never had to deal with with Kirstie Alley and Mel B. We had a lot of tension, but this is something different and I don't know how they can navigate the show through this," he said

Maks left the show in 2017 after a seven-year run but is still connected to the show as his brother and sister-in-law, Jenna Johnson, are both professionals on the series. Maks' wife Peta Murgatroyd stepped down as a professional in 2024.

Val will return to the ballroom on October 28, 2026 after his week's suspension and although Maks said he would not discuss the situation, he appeared to suggest that time would confirm the absurdity of what happened.

Maks' support for his brother

"All I'm going to say is that he's my brother," said Maks. "I love him and he's a big boy – he's going to handle it the way he's going to handle it and we're going to look back at it and see what happens then. But it's his thing and it's his life. Yesterday we were praising him, and today it's like, you know, well…"

What happened for Val to be suspended?

On October 13, 2026, Jenna (Johnson) and her partner Harry Shum Jr. performed a Samba, and Carrie Ann critiqued Jenna's choreography for including a lift, a move that is not legal in the Samba, per ballroom dancing rules.

Jenna was taken aback by the feedback, because Harry was lifted by two troupe members, not his partner, which Carrie Ann has accepted as a legal lift in previous seasons.

At the Skybox, host Julianne Hough asked Jenna how she was feeling, and Jenna maintained her shock that it had counted as a lift when it was troupe dancers, not her, who did it.

Online after the show, Jenna's husband Val was quick to defend her, writing in a comment on TikTok: "[Put] some respect on her name. [She's] trippin talking to her like that."

He then also posted and subsequently deleted another comment that read: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," referring to Will Smith's infamous slap of Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars, allegedly in defense of his wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

Carrie Ann reposted coverage of his comment to her own Instagram, writing: "So this is what we are doing now?"

Val's apology and more reactions

Val has since apologized to Carrie Ann privately and publicly, writing on Instagram: "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," he continued. "I recognize that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am, and who I want to be for you all."

ABC suspended him for one week. His celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, danced with Alan Bersten, who had been eliminated earlier in the season.