Val Chmerkovskiy Apologizes to Carrie Ann Inaba

Val Chmerkovskiy apologized publicly to Dancing With the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba after a since-deleted social media post referencing the 2022 Oscars slap was interpreted as aimed at her. Chmerkovskiy said he regretted the remark and had contacted Inaba personally to apologize. In a statement on Instagram, Chmerkovskiy said he should not have made the reference and recognized that his public platform called for greater care. He apologized to Inaba and to others hurt by the post, adding that he would do better. His account of contacting her directly comes from his own statement; the available reports do not establish whether she accepted the apology or responded afterward. The controversy followed a Tuesday, October 13, Dancing With the Stars episode in which Inaba critiqued a samba performed by Chmerkovskiy’s wife, professional dancer Jenna Johnson, and her celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr. Inaba said she wanted Johnson to add more content to the dance and noted that it included a lift. Johnson questioned the lift assessment, and Inaba read a definition of the rule during the broadcast. The next day, Chmerkovskiy posted a TikTok message saying, “You almost saw Fresh Prince...