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Val Chmerkovskiy returned to the Dancing With the Stars ballroom for Tuesday night’s Horror Movie episode after his one-week suspension due to a controversial reference he made to Will Smith’s Oscars slap when criticizing Carrie Ann Inaba‘s judging.
How — and if — DWTS was going to address Chmerkovskiy’s return to the show with Jenna Dewan after the controversy was a big question heading into Tuesday’s episode, partly because his absence on Dedication Night was not really addressed; the only reference to his nonattendance was made by co-host Alfonso Ribeiro noting at the top of the episode, “Val is not with us this week.”
During Dewan’s video package ahead of her Dedication Night dance, a timestamp was shown for late Friday night, as she thanked Alan Bersten for stepping in to perform. No mention of why Chmerkovskiy wasn’t dancing, and no footage of Chmerkovskiy and Dewan from earlier that week rehearsing was shown.
The pro dancer’s return was instead acknowledged during the video package played before Dewan and Chmerkovskiy performed their Argentine tango inspired by zombie films for Horror Movie Night.
“We are back together,” Chmerkovskiy told the Step Up star in the pretaped segment. “I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful.” She responded, “I forgive you,” and they shared a hug.
Later in the episode as the judges gave their critiques of the spooky performance, Inaba and Derek Hough commended Chmerkovskiy’s choreography. “Incredible choreography, Val. I wanna say that first. Incredible,” Inaba said before launching into praise for Dewan. The situation was not further acknowledged during Tuesday night’s DWTS episode, and the couple survived the double elimination, meaning they’ll be back for next week’s Disney-theme installment.
Controversy ensued after DWTS‘ Super Bowl Night following a critique longtime judge Inaba gave Chmerkovskiy’s wife, fellow pro dancer Johnson, over a lift in she and Harry Shum Jr.’s performance. Inaba told Johnson after their samba to Usher’s “Yeah!,” “I think you need to put more content in your dances. Especially because [Harry’s] so good, I want to see you challenge yourself a little bit more in the vein of what we’re looking for. And there was a lift.” Johnson responded to Inaba’s comments by asking, “A lift?”
Inaba brought out a piece of paper with the definition of lift, which she read during the live episode: “A lift is — I just need to say it — 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. Yeah, lift.”
Among a few comments he left on TikToks made by DWTS fans, Chmerkovskiy wrote in a TikTok Story posted one day after the Super Bowl-inspired show, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” Inaba responded to Chmerkovskiy’s Fresh Prince remarks on Instagram Thursday, writing “So this is what we are doing now?” while resharing a screenshot of a Page Six post featuring the dancer’s comment, alongside a split image of Smith and Chmerkovskiy.
He subsequently apologized to the longtime DWTS judge in an Instagram statement, and Inaba revisited the topic in the comments section of a post she made about Dedication Night on her personal Instagram page on Tuesday, ahead of Horror Movie Night.
Inaba wrote, “I have not spoke about what happened because of professional courtesy for those who are still competing, and we actually have standards and practices that keep us separated. But I think a part of this ‘headline’ has missed a few important parts of what happened. I think it’s important for everyone to know that Jenna and I hugged it out after the Super Bowl show. Jenna was an absolute professional about it, and two women worked through the moment. It came to my attention later that Jenna was deeply hurt. So I also offered to speak with her at anytime. I have also offered to discuss the lift rule and how I enforce it.”
The judge also wrote, in a follow-up comment, that she thinks “a new lift rule should be created for next season,” and the judging panel should get together with the pro dancer cast “to discuss the history of how and why Len Goodman, our original producers and I defined the lift rule and the what the purpose is which is safety and fairness.” (Inaba has been known to deduct a point for lifts in dances that do not allow them throughout her 35-season tenure as a DWTS judge.)
“The show has evolved tremendously, the way the show is cast has also changed, and so has our audience and the way they consume the show,” she continued. “So, working together to create a better understanding between the dancers and the judges and our audience is important to me, as we move forward and is something I have asked for.”
See how all the DWTS couples scored on Horror Movie Night, and which two celebrities were eliminated here.
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