Originally appeared on E! Online
A new routine begins forVal Chmerkovskiy.
The Dancing With the Stars pro is making his move back to the ballroom, officially returning to the ABC show on Oct. 21 following a one-week suspension. E! News has learned Chmerkovskiy resumed rehearsals with partner Jenna Dewan and will be back on the show Oct. 27 for Horror Movie Night.
Chmerkovskiy was benched for Oct. 20’s Dedication Night after making a comment about judge Carrie Ann Inaba that seemingly referenced Will Smith‘s 2022 Oscars slap.
After Inaba criticized his wife Jenna Johnson for having a life in her samba routine, Chmerkovskiy wrote on TikTok, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
Production company BBC Studios suspended the dancer for the remark.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” BBC Studios shared in a statement Oct. 17 obtained by E! News. “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.”
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Chmerkovskiy—who shares 3-year-old son Rome with Johnson—said he apologized privately to Inaba and shared a social media statement to explain his intentions.
“As you may have seen in the news, I won’t be in the ballroom this week,” he wrote on his Instagram Stories Oct. 17. “In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme to ‘keep my wife’s name’ out of the conversation, without stopping to think through what else that reference could imply, which was genuinely never my intention.”
“Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was,” he continued. “The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in.”
During Dedication Night, cohost Alfonso Ribeiroaddressed Chmerkovskiy’s absence by merely stating during the cast introductions, “As you can see, Alan Bersten is with Jenna Dewan because Val is not with us this week.”
For a look at everyone hoping to quickstep their way to the Mirrorball trophy on season 35 of DWTS, read on.
Giada De Laurentiis & Alan Bersten
Harry Shum Jr. & Jenna Johnson
Jenna Dewan & Val Chmerkovskiy
Ezra Frech & Daniella Karagach
Sarah Jane Nader & Hailey Bills
Conner Leavitt & Adele Zaikman
Tyler Cameron & Sharna Burgess
Guillermo Rodriguez & Witney Carson
Ciara Miller & Brandon Armstrong
