BBC Studios Sits Out Val Chmerkovskiy for October 20 Show

BBC Studios will keep professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy out of the October 20 episode of Dancing With the Stars after calling his social-media post about judge Carrie Ann Inaba inappropriate and inconsistent with the show’s standards. Chmerkovskiy apologized and said he had not intended the implication many readers drew from his reference. The production company said the well-being of everyone working on the program was non-negotiable and that Chmerkovskiy would not participate in the next show. The decision follows a post he made after Inaba criticized a dance by his wife, fellow professional Jenna Johnson, and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr. Chmerkovskiy’s now-deleted TikTok post said, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” The remark appeared to refer to Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars altercation with Chris Rock. Inaba later responded on Instagram, questioning the reference. In a statement addressing his absence, Chmerkovskiy said he had made a poor decision by referencing a meme while trying to keep his wife’s name out of the discussion. He said he had not stopped to consider what else the reference could imply, and that Inaba did not deserve to be...