Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes to Carrie Ann Inaba after Will Smith post

Melina Khan, USA TODAYFri, October 16, 2026 at 12:38 PM UTC

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"Dancing with the Stars" pro Val Chmerkovskiy has apologized to judge Carrie Ann Inaba after making a social media post seemingly referencing Will Smith's Oscars slap.

"I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post," Chmerkovskiy wrote in an Oct. 15 statement on his Instagram story. "I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally."

He continued: "I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal DWTS family. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it."

It came hours after Inaba took to Instagram to respond to an earlier social media post from Chmerkovskiy that said, "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night."

Some took it as a reference to Smith, the former star of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," famously slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscar Awards over a joke about wife Jada Pinkett Smith.

"So this is what we are doing now?" Inaba wrote on her Instagram about Chmerkovskiy's post.

Val Chmerkovskiy's apology comes after Carrie Ann Inaba, Jenna Johnson lift drama

Chmerkovskiy added in his apology that he recognizes "that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some."

"I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am, and who I want to be for you all," he wrote.

Days earlier, during Super Bowl night on "Dancing with the Stars," Inaba had a tense exchange with Chmerkovskiy's wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson.

After Johnson and actor Harry Shum Jr. danced a samba to "Yeah!" by Usher, Inaba told the pro, "I think you need to put more content in your dances."

The judge also said there was an illegal lift in the pair's routine, sparking confusion from Johnson.

Inaba then read the definition of a lift out loud: "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."

She was apparently referring to a moment in the routine when members of the troupe assisted Shum with a backflip.

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Before receiving their scores, Johnson responded to Inaba's critique.

"I totally understand. I thought it was if you lifted your partner, but totally hear Carrie Ann," she said.

'DWTS' lift controversy sparks debate

Inaba's criticism about the lift sparked widespread debate from fans and former stars of the show alike.

Chmerkovskiy's brother, former "Dancing with the Stars" pro Maks Chmerkovskiy said he disagreed with the criticism in an appearance on "The Viall Files" podcast.

He argued that the rulebook Inaba read from is "only applicable to a couple dancing," not additional dancers used in the background.

"There's no 'three other people' in the rulebook. The point is: Carrie Ann, get some consistency," he said.

Maks Chmerkovskiy's wife and another former "Dancing with the Stars" pro, Peta Murgatroyd, also agreed that the rule is unclear.

"I agreed with Jenna in the fact, like, ‘Oh, so even if it’s not me, he can't be lifted either.' I think maybe that would have been confusing for me too," Murgatroyd said on the podcast.

Hilaria Baldwin, who competed on the show last season, also agreed that the judges should be more consistent in calling out lifts for either everyone or no one.

"It's more of a show dance competition than an actual ballroom competition," she said in an Instagram video.

Shum, for his part, took to social media to remind fans of the show's levity.

"Everyone take a deep breath! It’s all going to be okay! Lots of madness in this world already so let’s just enjoy being entertained!!!" he wrote in a comment on the "DWTS" Instagram. "I got to dance on national television again and people felt many things! I love it all. Thank you for watching and caring so much tho."

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes to Carrie Ann Inaba after Will Smith post

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