Val Chmerkovskiy is officially returning to the “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom after serving a one-week suspension.
The professional dancer, 39, reunited with his celebrity partner Jenna Dewan, 44, at rehearsals on Monday following his benching from Tuesday night’s dedication-themed episode, sources said. Fellow pro Alan Bersten, 30, had stepped in to dance with Dewan during the live broadcast while Chmerkovskiy watched from home.
BBC Studios, the production company behind the ABC competition series, issued an unprecedented statement last week announcing the disciplinary action. “The well-being of everyone who works on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is non-negotiable,” the 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.”
The controversy stemmed from a since-deleted social media post Chmerkovskiy shared after his wife and fellow pro dancer Jenna Johnson, 31, received harsh criticism from judge Carrie Ann Inaba, 57, during the previous week’s competition. The post featured a selfie of Chmerkovskiy with text that read, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” referencing Will Smith’s infamous onstage assault of Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Inaba directly responded to the post on Chmerkovskiy’s social media before it was removed. “So this is what we’re doing now?” she wrote. “Thank you @pagesix and @entertainmentweekly for bringing this to my attention.” Sources close to production confirmed that Inaba subsequently filed a complaint with human resources, saying she felt threatened by the remark.
Chmerkovskiy issued a public apology to Inaba after his punishment was handed down. “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,” he said in a statement.
“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate 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.”
A source close to Chmerkovskiy said that “the suspension took Val by surprise, but he took it gracefully and he understood.” The insider noted that the pro dancer observed Tuesday’s episode from home rather than attending the live taping at the studio.
The incident marked the first time in the series’ history that a professional dancer has been suspended. Bersten, who had been eliminated during week two alongside his partner Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis, 54, was tapped as the emergency replacement for the dedication night broadcast.
Hosts Alfonso Ribeiro, 53, and Julianne Hough, 36, addressed the situation directly at the top of Tuesday’s live show. “As you can see, Alan Bersten is with Jenna Dewan because Val is not with us this week,” Ribeiro announced after the couples’ introductions.
Dewan has been among the season’s standout performers, earning solid scores throughout the competition and landing at the top of the leaderboard during the previous week’s “Super Bowl Night” themed episode. The actress and dancer is competing in support of the charity Dress for Success.
Neither a representative for Chmerkovskiy nor ABC immediately responded to the outlet’s request for comment on his return.
The suspension lifted just in time for Chmerkovskiy and Dewan to prepare for the upcoming episode of the competition series.