Val Chmerkovskiy came back from a one-week Dancing with the Stars suspension, scored a 37 with Jenna Dewan and then hugged judge Carrie Ann Inaba on camera after Horror Movie Night.
Well, that’s one way to end a feud. Val Chmerkovskiy and Carrie Ann Inaba hugged it out on the “Dancing with the Stars” ballroom floor after Horror Movie Night on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
It was Val’s first night back after a one-week suspension. The hug happened after the show, on camera, Variety reported, and clips of it spread fast.
“So everyone’s staring. We are coworkers and we are completely cordial. We are good, okay?” Inaba said at the hug, according to EntertainmentNow.
Why was Val Chmerkovskiy suspended from DWTS?
It started with a lift. On Super Bowl Night, Oct. 13, Inaba ruled that Jenna Johnson and Harry Shum Jr. used an illegal lift, USA Today reported.
Johnson is Val’s wife. That’s where things got messy.
Val then posted a TikTok story, since deleted. “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” he wrote, per HollywoodLife. People read it as a nod to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars.
BBC Studios, which produces the show, benched him for a week on Oct. 17, HollywoodLife reported. “Val’s social media post was inappropriate,” the company said in a statement reported by HollywoodLife. It also said the well-being of everyone on the show is “non-negotiable.”
Alan Bersten filled in with Jenna Dewan on Dedication Night, Oct. 20. They danced a Viennese waltz to “Unchained Melody.”
What did Val say about Carrie Ann Inaba?
Val apologized on social media after the post blew up. “In a moment where my instinct was to defend my wife, I made a poor decision to reference a meme,” he wrote, per USA Today.
After Tuesday’s show, he talked to People. “I will have nothing but love for Carrie Ann. I have nothing but respect for what she has to say,” he said, Variety reported. He called the moment “cathartic relief.”
Inaba had already said her piece on Instagram. “I think it’s important for everyone to know that Jenna and I hugged it out after the Super Bowl show,” she wrote, per Variety. She also wrote that “a new lift rule should be created for next season.”
“I have also offered to discuss the lift rule and how I enforce it,” Inaba added. So the rule itself may be the next thing to change, not just the mood.
So that’s two hugs now, if you’re counting. One with Johnson after the Super Bowl episode, and one with Val on Tuesday.
What did Val tell Jenna Dewan?
Dewan was the one left without her partner. In the rehearsal package that aired Tuesday, Val said sorry to her too.
“We are back together. I am so sorry for all the chaos. You did not sign up for that, and I feel awful,” he told her, per Variety.
“I forgive you ... I missed you,” Dewan answered.
How did Val and Jenna Dewan score on Horror Movie Night?
Pretty well, actually. The pair danced a zombie-themed Argentine tango to “Uninvited” and scored 37 out of 40, according to ABC7. Their two-week total of 74 tied for second.
Here’s the full tango from the official Dancing with the Stars channel:
Dewan had one stumble, but the judges mostly loved it. Inaba gave the routine a 9.
“Incredible choreography, Val,” she said on air, per USA Today. Derek Hough called it one of the best Argentine tangos he’d seen on that floor, TheWrap reported.
Tyler Cameron and Jackson Olson were sent home in the season’s first double elimination, with partners Sharna Burgess and Emma Slater. Harry Shum Jr. and Johnson earned the first perfect score of the season.
What’s next for DWTS Season 35?
Disney Night is up next, and it moves to Monday, Nov. 2, because of Election Day. Wicked star Cynthia Erivo is the guest judge, per Just Jared.
That means Val and Inaba share a ballroom again in five days, with eight couples left and the finale set for Nov. 24. With the hug out of the way, maybe the only drama left is the scores. Maybe.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Variety (Oct. 28), the hug, Val’s People quotes, Dewan apology and Inaba’s Instagram
USA Today (Oct. 27), the lift ruling, Val’s apology and on-air comments
HollywoodLife (Oct. 27), the TikTok post and BBC Studios statement
EntertainmentNow (Oct. 28), Inaba’s words at the hug
ABC7 Los Angeles (Oct. 28), Week 7 scores
TheWrap (Oct. 27), Horror Movie Night recap
Just Jared (Oct. 27), Disney Night and Erivo
Dancing with the Stars, official YouTube channel, performance video
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