‘DWTS’: Val Chmerkovskiy References Will Smith’s Oscars Slap While Defending Wife Jenna Johnson Amid Carrie Ann Inaba Criticism

Val Chmerkovskiy publicly defended his wife, *Dancing With the Stars* pro Jenna Johnson, after judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticised her choreography during Super Bowl Night. A post in which he wrote, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” drew particular attention because fans interpreted it as a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.

Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. performed a samba to Usher’s “Yeah!” and received 33 out of 40 points: three judges gave them eights, while guest judge Joe Buck gave them a nine. Inaba said the dance needed more content and identified a lift, prompting Johnson to question the call before Inaba read out a definition of a lift. Chmerkovskiy also commented on a viral video, telling critics to “put some respect on her name”; representatives had not responded to requests for comment by publication.