Val Chmerkovskiy Ousted From Next ‘DWTS’ Episode Amid Will Smith Oscars Slap Reference, Jenna Dewan to Dance With Alan Bersten

Val Chmerkovskiy will miss next week’s “Dancing With the Stars” Dedication Night after making a Will Smith Oscars slap reference while defending his wife, fellow dancer Jenna Johnson. The show’s production company said his social media post was inappropriate and did not reflect its standards; Jenna Dewan, his celebrity dance partner, will perform with Alan Bersten instead.

Chmerkovskiy said he had made a poor decision and had not considered what the meme reference could imply, apologising to judge Carrie Ann Inaba and saying he did not want to distract from the episode. The controversy followed Inaba’s critique of Johnson and her partner Harry Shum Jr.’s samba, including a disputed lift. Chmerkovskiy posted that viewers “almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom”, invoking Smith’s 2022 slap of Chris Rock at the Oscars.