Dancing With the Stars has a brand-new controversy, and it is heating up fast.
Pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from the show for one week after a social media post that referenced one of the most infamous moments in Oscars history. And just hours after the news broke, Jenna Dewan's fiance, Steve Kazee, stepped in with an emotional public message that has fans talking.
The TikTok That Got Val Suspended
It all started during the show's "Super Bowl Night." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba gave harsh feedback to Val Chmerkovskiy's wife, Jenna Johnson, for including a lift in her samba with actor Harry Shum Jr. During the episode, Johnson, 32, appeared taken aback as Inaba read the official definition of a lift straight from a piece of paper: any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner.
Inaba, 58, also told Shum Jr. to "put more content in [his] dances." Val was not having it. He took to TikTok to defend his wife, but the reference he chose was explosive: he invoked Will Smith and Chris Rock's 2022 Oscars incident — the night Smith told Rock to keep his wife's name out of his mouth before slapping him onstage.
"You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," Val wrote in the TikTok status, which he later deleted. Inaba fired back on her Instagram Stories: "So this is what we are doing now?"
The Show Drops the Hammer
A few days later, the consequences landed. It was revealed that Chmerkovskiy, 40, would be sitting out of the forthcoming DWTS episode.
"The well-being of everyone who works on 'Dancing with the Stars' is non-negotiable," a statement from a BBC Studios producer read, according to Deadline. "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."
Val also responded in his own statement, saying his "instinct" was to "defend" Johnson, but admitting he "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." He added: "Carrie Ann certainly didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was."
Steve Kazee Breaks His Silence
Amid all the chaos, Jenna Dewan's fiance made his feelings known. Steve Kazee, the 50-year-old "Shameless" alum, took to his Instagram Stories on Saturday with a heartfelt tribute to Dewan, 45, alongside a photo of her dolled up from the show's Super Bowl Night.
"Everytime I think I can't love you more, your grace, your class and your heart prove me wrong," Kazee wrote. "You got this baby! We got you!"
Kazee, who announced his engagement to Dewan in 2020, has stood by the "Step Up" star since she began her DWTS journey with Chmerkovskiy in September. Fans flooded social media with support for the couple as the suspension news spread.
What Happens Next on DWTS
Dewan's journey on the competition series is far from over. She will be dancing with DWTS pro Alan Bersten on Tuesday's "Dedication Night," where the duo is set to perform a Viennese waltz in honor of Dewan's mom, Nancy Bursch.
Val closed his apology with a message about his dance partner: "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."
Whether the controversy dies down or follows the show through the rest of the season, one thing is certain: all eyes will be on the ballroom Tuesday night.
