“Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes to judge Carrie Ann Inaba after a TikTok Story post referencing Will Smith’s Oscars slap. Chmerkovskiy says he is “truly sorry” to Inaba and to others he may have hurt, adding that he will do better.
Outlets report that his initial post, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” drew a public response from Inaba, who posted, “So this is what we are doing now?” The discussion follows heightened tension during a recent episode, where Inaba had a tense exchange with Chmerkovskiy related to his performance.
Some coverage also notes that Chmerkovskiy’s posts come amid criticism directed at his wife, Jenna Johnson, though sources focus on the apology as the key development. The outlets agree that the apology is prompted by the reaction to the Will Smith reference and its effect on Inaba.
