Val Chmerkovskiy enjoyed a “cathartic” reunion with Carrie Ann Inaba and apologised to Jenna Dewan for causing “chaos” when he returned to Dancing With the Stars following his one-week suspension.
Val Chmerkovskiy enjoyed a “cathartic” reunion with Carrie Ann Inaba when he returned to Dancing With the Stars following his one-week suspension.
The 40-year-old dancer had to sit out last week’s show but was back with celebrity partner Jenna Dewan during Tuesday’s (27.10.26) Horror Movie Night, and he was happy to clear the air with the judge following his controversial social media post, in which he seemingly hit out at Carrie Ann’s critique about his wife Jenna Johnson by referencing the infamous Oscars slap involving Will Smith and Chris Rock.
Footage shared on social media showed Val and Carrie Ann speaking quietly to one another behind the scenes before they shared a hug.
And the dancer told People magazine: “It felt cathartic relief, you know?
“I think it was just really important for me to make sure that she feels safe and knows that, firsthand from me, I want nothing but love for her.
“I want nothing but joy for her and as much as the world might say otherwise, I want her to know how I feel, not how others want me to feel, but how I genuinely feel.
“I will have nothing but love for Carrie Ann. I have nothing but respect for what she has to say.”
According to the outlet, the 58-year-old judge noted on set that the moment between herself and Val had attracted the audience’s attention.
She told the crowd: “So everyone’s staring. We are coworkers and we are completely cordial. We are good, OK?”
Ahead of his and Jenna’s performance on this week’s show, the couple’s intro package saw Val apologise to the Step Up actress – who was partnered by Alan Bersten last week – for the “chaos” he had caused.
He said: “We are back together. I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful.”
They hugged and Jenna said: “I forgive you. I missed you.”
Val received a week-long suspension over his social media post.
In a now-deleted post, he wrote: “You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
Val later addressed the controversy after his suspension was announced and admitted he had made a “poor decision”.
He wrote on Instagram: “Hi everyone. As you may have seen in the news, I won’t be in the ballroom this week.
“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 judgement, and I hated that she was.
“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!! [heart emoji] (sic)”
BBC Studios, which produces the TV show, previously described Val’s social media post as “inappropriate”.
In a statement obtained by People, the broadcaster said: “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable.
“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 Chmerkovskiy enjoys ‘cathartic’ reunion with Carrie Ann Inaba on DWTS
