Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension from the Season 35 of Dancing with the Stars has left fans wondering who will replace him as Jenna Dewan’s dance partner.
The 40-year-old dancer took to his Instagram Stories on Saturday, October 17, to issue a statement, revealing that he has been suspended for a week from DWTS over his Will Smith Oscars slap remark.
His suspension marked the first time ever a pro has been pulled from the show.
Chmerkovskiy’s removal from this week’s episodes sparked questions about who would replace him on the show as the new dance partner of Jenna Dewan.
According to Us Weekly, the DWTS pro Alan Bersten, who was eliminated from the competition earlier in the season, will return as Dewan’s new dance partner.
The report also revealed that Dewan will be performing a Viennese waltz set to Unchained Melody, dedicated to her mother, Nancy.
BBC’s statement announcing Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension
An official statement from the BBC Studios producer reads, “The well-being of everyone who works on ‘Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,’” as per Deadline.
It adds, “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.”
What did Val Chmerkovskiy say?
During a recent episode of DWTS Season 35, Judge Carrie Ann Inaba criticized the dance routine performed by Val’s wife, Jenna Johnson, and her partner, Harry Shun Jr.
This led to a major controversy as the professional dancer shared an offensive social media post, referencing Will Smith’s infamous 2022 Oscars slap to Chris Rock.
He wrote, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” seemingly referring to Smith slapping Chris Rock during the 94th Academy Awards after the comedian made a comment about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
His comment sparked massive outrage, forcing the reality TV show makers to take a strict action by pulling him from the show for one week, marking the first-ever pro suspension in DWTS history.
