Val Chmerkovskiy and Carrie Ann Inaba held a private conversation at the judges’ table following Tuesday’s “Dancing with the Stars” broadcast, marking their first direct exchange since his suspension for social media behavior directed at her.
Chmerkovskiy, 40, returned to the ABC competition for “Horror Movie Night” after serving a one-week ban for a now-deleted TikTok post that referenced Will Smith’s Oscars slap in the wake of Inaba’s critique of his wife, Jenna Johnson. The professional dancer said that speaking with Inaba, 58, brought him “cathartic relief” after the tense weeks that followed the incident.
“I think it was just really important for me to make sure that she feels safe and knows that, firsthand from me, I want nothing but love for her,” Chmerkovskiy explained in the interview.
The two were filmed closely chatting and holding hands at the judges’ table before embracing, footage that circulated through an Instagram video shared by People. Inaba then turned toward the audience to address the attention their interaction was drawing.
“So everyone’s staring. We are coworkers and we are completely cordial,” Inaba said in the clip.
Chmerkovskiy insisted that regardless of what “the world” says, he wants “nothing but joy” for Inaba and for her to know how he “genuinely feels.”
“I will have nothing but love for Carrie Ann,” he added. “I have nothing but respect for what she has to say.”
The suspended week had left Chmerkovskiy’s partner, Jenna Dewan, 45, to perform a Viennese waltz with substitute pro Alan Bersten on “Dedication Night.” Upon returning to rehearsals for Tuesday’s show, Chmerkovskiy apologized directly to Dewan for the disruption his actions had caused.
“You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful,” he told the “Step Up” actress.
Inaba had already begun addressing the fallout before Tuesday’s reconciliation. Over the weekend, she posted on Instagram that she and Johnson, 32, “hugged it out” after the initial critique that sparked the controversy.
“Jenna was an absolute professional about it, and two women worked through the moment,” Inaba wrote. “It came to my attention later that Jenna was deeply hurt. So I also offered to speak with her at any time.”
The original confrontation occurred during the show’s “Super Bowl Night” on Oct. 13, when Inaba and Johnson clashed over a lift during Johnson and partner Harry Shum Jr.’s samba. Johnson reportedly broke down backstage following the tense exchange, prompting Chmerkovskiy’s social media response that drew widespread backlash. His TikTok post stated, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” an apparent allusion to Smith striking Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. Chmerkovskiy later apologized as criticism mounted, but ABC proceeded with the one-week suspension.
Beyond the personal reconciliation, Inaba has used the controversy to push for structural change in the competition. She advocated for the introduction of a lift rule for next season, noting the ABC series “has evolved tremendously” since its 2005 premiere.