Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from Dancing With the Stars due to the inappropriate “Oscar Slap” comment he made toward Carrie Ann Inaba after her criticism of Jenna Johnson’s routine last week. And the vibes backstage on DWTS have been understandably tense.
One source tells TMZ that “Carrie Ann was so heated over Val's remarks, she raised the issue with BBC Productions' HR department.” Meanwhile, another insider “would not confirm whether Carrie complained” and insists that BBC “launched the investigation after seeing the joke.”
Either way, BBC Studios released a statement confirming Val’s suspension over the weekend, telling Deadline, “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 has since apologized, saying in part that “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. Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
Val’s celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, will be dancing with Alan Bersten during Tuesday’s Dedication Night show, with Val expected to be back in the ballroom next week. Per TMZ, it’s unclear if he’s being paid for the week he’s missing due to his suspension.