Why is Val suspended from DWTS: one deleted TikTok made him the first pro ever benched in the show's history

Val Chmerkovskiy sat out the October 20 episode of Dancing with the Stars, and the reason is a TikTok Story that existed for less than a day. On October 17, BBC Studios, the production company behind the show, announced a one-week suspension for the two-time Mirrorball champion.

The franchise has never taken that measure against a professional dancer in its two decades on air. Pros have been cut, injured out, and quietly not invited back; none had ever been benched mid-season over conduct.

The chain of events is short. During the October 14 live show, judge Carrie Ann Inaba did something unusual: she critiqued the choreography of a pro, Jenna Johnson, who partners Harry Shum Jr. this season. Johnson is married to Chmerkovskiy.

The next day, Val defended his wife in TikTok comments ("put some respect on her name"), then escalated in a TikTok Story: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night" — an unmistakable reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars over a joke about his wife.

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He deleted the post and apologized on Instagram that Thursday. The suspension landed anyway.

"The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable."

— BBC Studios, in the suspension announcement

What the bench looks like in practice

Chmerkovskiy is partnered this season with The Rookie star Jenna Dewan, which meant the show needed a substitute on Dedication Night. The solution came from the eliminated pool:

• Alan Bersten, sent home earlier this season with partner Giada De Laurentiis, danced with Dewan in Val's place.
• The suspension covers one episode — Chmerkovskiy is only confirmed out for October 20, with a return expected next week.
• Carrie Ann Inaba has not publicly responded to either the TikTok or the apology.

The statement issued through his rep admitted to a "poor decision" and bad judgment while explaining the reflex behind it.

"Instinct was to defend my wife."

— Val Chmerkovskiy, responding to his suspension

The precedent problem

The show's discipline math is worth sitting with. Will Smith's actual slap earned him a ten-year ban from the Oscars; joking about repeating it now costs a week of American prime time.

ABC and BBC Studios clearly decided that a pro publicly fantasizing — however jokingly — about physical retaliation against a judge couldn't be answered with an Instagram apology, not on a show whose judges' job is to criticize people's spouses on live television.

The joke referenced a slap that never happened in the ballroom. The suspension makes sure the ballroom never has to find out.

Whether the week off resets anything is the open question: Inaba still sits at the judges' table, Johnson still dances for scores Inaba hands out, and Val returns to a ballroom where everyone has read his drafts.

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