Carrie Ann Inaba and Val Chmerkovskiy appear to have made amends after the Dancing With the Stars pro was suspended for one episode over social media comments directed at the judge.
At the end of Tuesday, Oct. 27’s “Horror Night” episode, Inaba and Chmerkovskiy were seen embracing behind the judges’ table in a video posted to Reddit. Although their conversation cannot be heard, Chmerkovskiy appears to say, “I’m sorry,” as Inaba shakes her head and seemingly accepts his apology.
Tuesday’s episode marked Chmerkovskiy’s return to the reality competition following his one-week suspension. As a result, his celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, danced with fellow pro Alan Bersten during last week’s “Dedication Night.”
In the rehearsal package for Tuesday’s episode, Chmerkovskiy also briefly apologized to Dewan for the controversy, telling her she didn’t deserve what happened. The Rookie actress accepted his apology and said she forgave him.
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The suspension stemmed from comments Chmerkovskiy made about Inaba on TikTok.
The controversy began the day after the show’s “Super Bowl Night,” when Inaba offered harsh criticism of Chmerkovskiy’s wife, DWTS pro Jenna Johnson, and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr.
In a since-deleted post, Chmerkovskiy reacted to Inaba’s comments, writing, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The remark seemingly referenced Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
On Oct. 17, BBC Studios announced Chmerkovskiy’s suspension in a statement, saying, “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 connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”
In a statement shared to his Instagram Story that same day, Chmerkovskiy addressed his suspension and apologized again for his comments. He had previously apologized to Inaba on Instagram after his post went viral.
During “Horror Night,” Inaba complimented Chmerkovskiy’s choreography and awarded him and Dewan a 9 out of 10 for their Argentine tango to “Uninvited” by Damned Anthem and Kendra Dantes, inspired by zombie movies.
Due to Election Day, the next episode of DWTS, “Disney Night,” will air Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+ instead of its usual Tuesday time slot.
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