Inaba Says She Reconciled With Johnson, Seeks Lift Rule Review

Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba said she and pro dancer Jenna Johnson reconciled after their on-air disagreement and called for a discussion about revising the show’s lift rule next season. She said the two hugged after the episode and that she had offered to speak with Johnson, whom she later learned had been deeply hurt by the exchange. The disagreement followed the show’s October 13 episode, when Inaba criticized a lift in Johnson’s routine with Harry Shum Jr. Johnson is married to fellow pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy. Inaba said she had not spoken publicly sooner out of professional courtesy to those still competing and because show standards and practices kept participants separated. In comments on Instagram, Inaba said she was also willing to discuss how she applies the lift rule. She proposed bringing dancers and judges together to review the rule’s history and purpose, which she described as safety and fairness. She said the show and its audience had changed, and that a shared understanding of the rule would be useful. Her comments express a request; the show has not announced that it will adopt a new rule or hold the proposed discussion. The controversy...