‘DWTS’ Val Chmerkovskiy Speaks Out After Suspension as Replacement Announced
‘DWTS’ Val Chmerkovskiy Speaks Out After Suspension as Replacement Announced
Michelle SteinSun, October 18, 2026 at 2:21 PM UTC
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Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Dewan on 'Dancing With the Stars' - Eric McCandless/Disney via Getty Images
Dancing With the Stars pro dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy is speaking out following his one-week suspension — and Jenna Dewan‘s new partner has been announced.
On Saturday, October 17, a statement from the DWTS production company, BBC Studios, stressed that the “well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” per NBC News. BBC Studios also stated, “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.”
Not long after the news broke, Chmerkovskiy posted a message to fans on his Instagram Story. “Hi everyone,” he began. “As you may have seen in the news, I won’t be in the ballroom this week.”
The pro dancer continued, “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. Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”
To conclude his post, Chmerkovskiy wrote, “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 DTWS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
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Filling in as Dewan’s dance partner for the DWTS “Dedication Night” on Tuesday, October 20, is Alan Bersten, Entertainment Weekly reported. He and his celebrity partner, Giada De Laurentiis, were eliminated during Week 2.
On October 13, Chmerkovskiy wrote on his TikTok Story, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” referencing Will Smith defending his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, at the 2022 Academy Awards after Chris Rock joked about her being bald. (Smith also slapped Rock on the stage after yelling, “Keep my wife’s name out your motherf***ing mouth!”
Chmerkovskiy’s post came after DWTS judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized his wife, Jenna Johnson‘s performance with Harry Shum Jr. His suspension marks the first in the show’s history.
Dancing With theStars, Season 35, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC and Disney+
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
