Overview
- The dispute began during the Oct. 13 Super Bowl Night episode when judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized Jenna Johnson and read the show’s definition of a lift on air.
- Val Chmerkovskiy posted a now-deleted TikTok story that said, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” a line widely read as referencing Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars slap.
- Inaba saw and reshared coverage of the post and wrote, “So this is what we are doing now?” before Chmerkovskiy issued a public apology saying he made a poor decision and had reached out to her directly.
- On Saturday BBC Studios announced a one-week removal, saying the post was inappropriate and that the well-being of everyone who works on the show is non-negotiable, and producers paired Jenna Dewan with Alan Bersten for the Oct. 20 episode.
- Reports from anonymous insiders claim ABC or production pressured an apology and say Inaba feels uncomfortable working with Chmerkovskiy, but those accounts remain unconfirmed and the situation is still developing.