[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
well this dancing with the stars The drama has just taken a seriously messed up turn!
Val Chmerkovskiy Will be officially sitting out next week dedication night The professional dancer has been embroiled in controversy after a controversial social media post. And get this: According to reports, this is apparently the first professional dancer suspension in the show’s history! Who knew?!
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So, anyway, here’s what’s going on: The 40-year-old took her instagram stories His now-deleted post on Saturday night followed a response to address the situation. Controversy erupts for the first time after ICYMI dwts judge Carrie Ann Inaba Val’s wife criticized jenna johnsonperforming with her celebrity partner last week, Harry Shum Jr..
Apparently, Val wasn’t getting any criticism! Buuuuut…his attempt to defend his wife fails Very A different direction than he expected. That’s because Chmerkovskiy posted this in response to Inaba’s criticism:
“You almost saw it.” fresh Prince Enter the ballroom tomorrow night.”
Wow!
Of course, that line refers to Will Smithis infamous oscar Thappad, when the actor slapped the comedian chris rock On stage during 2022 academy awards After Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Given the circumstances, reference to Val Immediately Raised eyebrows. Was this supposed to be a joke? a warning? Threat of violence?!?! Whatever the intention, it clearly didn’t go over well – and Val was suspended for next week’s episode!
And on Saturday night, well, Chmerkovskiy finally addressed the controversy (and the one-week suspension) by writing on his IG Stories:
“At a moment when my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme in order to ‘keep my wife’s name out of the conversation’ without thinking about what else that reference could mean, which was never really my intention. … Carrie Ann certainly did not deserve to be caught in the middle of my bad decision, and I thought she was.”
He continued:
“The last thing I want is to distract from an important week or the incredible work that my dance partner Jenna Dewan is doing. Please send lots of love to Carrie Ann, Jenna and the entire DTWS family during Dedication Night. I will be watching and cheering everyone on!! ❤️.”
/ (c) Val Chmerkovskiy/InstagramGlass…
Meanwhile, the show’s production company, bbc studiosmade its position clear in a statement obtained by multiple media outlets:
“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 associated with the show. As a result, he will not be participating in next week’s show.”
As far as ballroom shake-ups go, allan bernstonwho was dropped earlier this season, will step in as jenna dewanDance partners for upcoming episodes. Talk about an unexpected change!
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For your information, Chmerkovskiy had already publicly apologized to Inaba on Thursday. Subsequently, he said he had personally “reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly.”
He also acknowledged the responsibility that comes with a public platform, writing:
“I recognize that I am in a fortunate position in terms of having a platform and being a role model for some people, and I need to behave more carefully to actively think before I post it to make sure that what I’m sharing is true to who I am, and who I want to be to all of you. I’m truly sorry to Carrie Ann and everyone I hurt with my careless posts. I will do better moving forward.”
We certainly hope so!
Attempting to defend your spouse can definitely backfire when the context involves one of Hollywood’s most infamous awards-show moments!
Will this suspension put the controversy behind it, or will fans continue to debate its consequences?!
Share all your findings in the comments (below)…
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or visit https://www.thehotline.org/.
For more information on violence against women go here https://www.justice.gov/ovw/resources-for-survivors.
[Image via MEGA/WENN]