Why Is Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended From 'Dancing With the Stars'? Series' First-Ever Pro Suspension Explored

Val Chmerkovskiy is taking a temporary break from the dance floor.

The Dancing With the Stars pro dancer returned to the reality dance competition series with his Season 35 partner, Jenna Dewan.

"I'm not naïve to the expectations that people have for Jenna, rightfully so. We're going to do our best. There's no guarantees," he told People after the Season 35 cast was revealed.

However, his journey on the show was put on hold following a controversy surrounding the competition's Super Bowl Night episode.

Here's everything to know so far about Chmerkovskiy's suspension from DWTS.

The backlash stemmed from Chmerkovskiy's controversial social media post following DWTS' Super Bowl Night episode on October 13.

In the since-deleted TikTok status, he critiqued judge Carrie Ann Inaba over comments she made about his wife, Jenna Johnson, after her latest samba performance to Usher's hit "Yeah!" with her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr.

"You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," Chmerkovskiy wrote, referencing Will Smith's infamous 2022 Oscars incident when the Men in Black actor walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock after the comedian joked about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Meanwhile, Inaba later addressed the situation by sharing a screenshot of an article about Chmerkovskiy's TikTok post.

"So this is what we are doing now?" she wrote.

On October 15, Chmerkovskiy issued a public apology through his Instagram Stories, writing he wanted to "apologize from the bottom of [his] heart for [his] 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," he said, expressing how he "deeply" regretted making the Smith reference.

Chmerkovskiy added, "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."

He concluded the post, "I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward."

BBC Studios, which produces DWTS, released a statement addressing Chmerkovskiy's controversial reference to Smith's Oscars slap.

"The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable," the production company said. "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."

Chmerkovskiy confirmed his one-week suspension on his Instagram Stories on October 17, announcing he would sit out the Dedication Night episode.

"In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, 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," the choreographer said. "Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I had that she was."

He continued, "The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on!! ❤️."

On October 17, it was confirmed that Chmerkovskiy's dance partner, Dewan, would perform with DWTS pro Alan Bersten during the Dedication Night episode.

Bersten and his partner, Giada de Laurentiis, were eliminated during the Week 2 episode, Viral Hits Night, on September 22.