Oct. 19, 2026
Shocking Twist: Longtime Pro Val Chmerkovskiy Suspended From ‘Dancing With The Stars’
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RSS Feed For the first time in its 35 seasons, ‘Dancing With The Stars” has suspended a pro dancer from the show, and it’s because of a social medial post. Val Chmerkovskiy shared a now-deleted TikTok post referencing the Will Smith and Chris Rock 2022 Oscars incident after judge Carie Ann Inaba criticized his wife and fellow pro dancer following their samba routine last episode. Even though Chmerkovskiy publicly apologized, the production company behind DWTS announced over the weekend that “the well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable” and that Chmerkovskiy would not participate in this week’s competition.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Monday, October 19th, and what is going on at Dancing with the Stars? For the first time in the show's history, a pro has been suspended. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. A pro robe, this guy would go back and I don't have to look at it. I would call him an OG even if he isn't one. Has he been there from the beginning, Val?
00:00:30
Speaker 2: So he was there from season two. He was like a background dancer. But then he became, I think in 2011, he became full-time pro. So he has over 15 years of being with the show and 10 consecutive years. as a pro dancer. That is a decade of work for fans.
00:00:50
Speaker 1: There are a few, Huff, obviously, but there are a few names and a few people that you just associate with this show and you forever will. Val is one of them. I keep calling him Val because I can rarely get his last name right.
00:01:03
Speaker 2: I actually put aâ it's so funny. We've been saying his name for years and years and years because Val and his brother, Max, are constantly on Good Morning America when we were there. So we had developed a relationship with them, and I still have trouble saying his last name. Val Shmirkovsky, I believe, is how you say it. I had to put it phonetically in for myself. And so, yes, Val Shmirkovsky. And he was Ginger's partner, correct? So, look, they have been a big part of ourâ circle for a long time. And it's just sad to see this because he is a decent human being.
00:01:38
Speaker 1: And this is another, Robes, in the line of a mistake made and no grace given one way or the other. And I understand this is a mistake and it was a bad one. And it was pointed out. I have no issues with that. But, Robes, this has blown up. into once again one of those things where we can't just talk to each other, talk it out, or even express frustration or anger without it getting ugly and nasty and threats, even death threats, being thrown around over this.
00:02:08
Speaker 2: It's tough because, yes, if you're a fan of the show, I would imagine you're a fan of Elle. And I think we can all extend some grace to folks who maybe react emotionally because you feel like you're defending someone you love. And that's exactly how Val described it. But he did, I think, put out a very solid apology. And I find it so interesting for him to have been on the show for more than a decade, for Carrie Ann Inaba to have been on the show for a long time. The fact that they couldn't work this out privately and It just seems really disturbing to think that, yes, the production company. And it was pretty shocking over the weekend because we heard his apology and it seemed like that was done. Yes, fans were weighing in on it either way. But we did not hear notably anything from Carrie Ann Inaba after the apology and after the suspension.
00:02:57
Speaker 1: But you said it, right? Val has his fans over the years. Carrie Ann does as well. And Carrie Ann's been a part of that show and a polarizing part, arguably. But still, she has a personality that people know and they like. And she has been a big part of that show's success over the years. So, yes, Robes. Some might have come... No, not might have. They did come out and defend her in her camp. And then, here you go. Now it's set off and everybody hates everybody. Is what we came to. When Robes... How can we not view this as nothing more? I say nothing more. But he made... A mistake. And yeah, it can even be a bad one. It can even be a bad one. But to now take it to where it's gone, Robes, is unfortunate to see.
00:03:38
Speaker 2: I agree, because I don't believe, and I think anyone who knows Val doesn't believe that he was actually encouraging or inciting or saying he was about to slap Carrie Ann Inaba in the face, because that is what people are implying. are saying basically, and even from the statement that came from the production company who puts together Dancing with the Stars, it was an insinuation that this was somehow violent rhetoric that couldn't be tolerated. I understand where they're drawing that conclusion from, but it seems like an overreach to imply that somehow He intended that.
00:04:13
Speaker 1: But this is the thing, right? We're supposed to have zero tolerance. You're supposed to, you have to do these things these days, right, Robes? Any suggestion, even, Robes, this is, you have to make the connection, right? I'm not, even if you want to stop short of saying this was a stretch. you do have to make the connection yourself because he didn't blatantly, he didn't say he wants to go hit a woman. Obviously he didn't. There is a connection and we understand. We'll explain exactly what he said. You'll be the judge and we get it. Robes, we do. We get it. But we don't put any nuance or any space for any nuance in this context, Robes. And I thought that I Why did they have to come that hard after him?
00:04:59
Speaker 2: I agree. I agree because they're afraid because look, this is a print. I would think it's fair to say, I don't have the numbers in front of me, but a predominantly female audience. And so they are overreacting, I believe, to what they think women might feel upon taking in what he put out on TikTok. I think there's plenty of women who also see a man defending his wife and think that's Like they understand it. I'm not saying they're defending it, but they understand it. And here's the original TikTok. Just it's one sentence. One sentence has caused all of this chaos. He put on TikTok will explain what it was in reaction to.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: You know, if you give that for everybody knows the show Dancing with the Stars, his wife. Is a pro on the show.
00:05:46
Speaker 2: Correct. Jenna Johnson.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: I don't even know who her partner is or the celebrity partner. Whatever. She is a pro on the show.
00:05:52
Speaker 2: Right.
00:05:52
Speaker 1: They do their routine. They stand there and they get judged. And the judges sometimes rip them apart, compliment them, whatever, give them a score. Okay. Carrie Ann Aniba. Anaba. Anaba. Sorry.
00:06:02
Speaker 2: Carrie Ann Anaba.
00:06:03
Speaker 1: And again, I know her name. I just mispronounced. She is giving her critique and she says they did a lift, which is illegal.
00:06:12
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:06:13
Speaker 1: After some pushback about the lift, she gets a little bit of an attitude and wants to prove her point. Pulls out a sheet of paper, let me read to you what a lift is, and gave the definition. So it was a tense back and forth about this lift that we will get into in a moment and tell you why it's controversial. Some are arguing, well, that's not really a lift anyway. So this tense back and forth goes on. The viewers are probably loving it because it's tension, fine. But the husband of the pro being critiqued was also watching. And Robes... That sets up why his reaction now is what it was. This wasn't just a normal something on the show. This was kind of a standout tense moment.
00:07:02
Speaker 2: It was controversial because, yes, Carrie Ann Inaba, I'm sorry, she did not need to condescendingly read the rule book back and say, this is what a lift is, any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time. with the assistance or support of their partner. Yeah, lift.
00:07:21
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm gonna, in her defense, she's just doing what she does. I, at this point, Rose, I don't see anything wrong with what Carrie Ann did, what the pro did. And now that leads us to that.
00:07:35
Speaker 2: Yes, yes. And look, Jenna was definitely confused because she said, I totally understand. I thought it was if you lifted your partner, but I totally hear Carrie Ann because the issue was there wasn't a lift between the pro and the celebrity. There was a moment where members of the troupe in the background, the background dancers, assisted him with a backflip.
00:07:56
Speaker 1: I mean, he was essentially laying... It wasn't even like they threw him up in the air. They just held his arms while he kind of on his own flipped backwards. But yes, his two feet did come off the ground.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: So a lot of people could see it and a lot of pro dancers have weighed in saying that Carrie Ann Inaba, you know, it's controversial with... the charge she made that somehow they violated the rules of the Samba.
00:08:18
Speaker 1: But she wanted to make her point, and she had a piece of paper there, and boom! It was, she had a, it's fine, but it's her.
00:08:25
Speaker 2: It did feel like she knew it was gonna be controversial, so she had the rule book waiting and ready.
00:08:30
Speaker 1: And she's done this before. With the same line, she's done this before.
00:08:33
Speaker 2: And producers probably love it, because as you pointed out, having this back and forth, it is all reminiscent of Simon Cowell on American Idol ripping apart folks.
00:08:41
Speaker 1: Yes, there you go.
00:08:41
Speaker 2: It creates this tension, and The audience loves it and then people react. But yes, unfortunately for Val Shmerkovsky, he reacted this way going onto TikTok afterwards and said, you almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.
00:08:58
Speaker 1: And that was it. Okay, so robes, you, me. If we see that, we have all this context now, but I know exactly what he's suggesting. But in reading that is the first thing that came to your mind would have been which part of that whole Will Smith thing?
00:09:17
Speaker 2: The slap. The slap. Yes. The slap that obviously Will Smith did in front of the world to Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. And so, yes, that's where everyone got upset because they're thinking, wow, he's saying he was going to slap or he wanted to slap Carrie Ann Inaba.
00:09:35
Speaker 1: Period. Point blank. So people, you know, I'm not sure how much this went. Crazy online before the suspension. I'm not sure, or even before his apology. I'm not sure how much steam this had picked up, but it picked up enough that it needed to be addressed.
00:09:50
Speaker 2: Absolutely. So he, and I give Val Shmerkovsky total credit because he almost immediately, he took it down and on Instagram. this was his official apology. I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally. And I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal Dancing with the Stars family. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it. I recognize that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some And I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am and who I want to be for you all. That's a good apology.
00:10:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's kind of, I mean, what more can you say? I messed up. Um, I guess he could have gone into a little more detail or I would never do that. But it didn't seem like there was... You almost don't need to defend yourself against something we're not assuming you would do in the first place, right? If he'd have gone more into, I would never put my hands on him. Yeah, you shouldn't have to say that because we don't assume that of you in the first place. So in that respect... I thought it hit the notes it needed to hit.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, he didn't explain himself. And by the way, so this all took place on Tuesday night, and he put out this apology on Thursday. So it took a little bit for that to build. But then, yes, by Saturday, we get this announcement from the production company. And this is where I just thought like, wow, you've got somebody who has been a beloved member of your team for more than a decade, and this is is your official statement. The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable. 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.
00:11:53
Speaker 1: It was inappropriate. The values of the show, anyone's connected. Non-negotiable. Well-being of everyone.
00:11:59
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:12:00
Speaker 1: All right. I mean, I get you have to you have to. We just have to make the assumption we don't want to listen. We can't listen. The crime is the crime, babe. This is not where they treated a difference of manslaughter, second degree, first degree. It's just all the same crime. And it doesn't matter if you said it in anger. It doesn't matter if you said it and didn't mean it. It doesn't matter if you said it and it was out of context. It doesn't matter if you were upset and defending your wife. Nothing else matters. Your history on this show doesn't even matter. Not having a single incident for the past 15 years, none of it matters, Val. All that matters is we have to react to how people might react to what you said. I don't know, babe, if there's ever going to, we can ever correct, should correct. Some are saying, yeah, he should be fired maybe even. Get rid of him completely. And I just, I don't know, babe, if we can ever take it as anything other than he said this. Therefore, this means he must admit this. And that means we got to take action. We are saying Val wanted to hit somebody. and he put it out there. Is that what we're saying?
00:13:16
Speaker 2: Yes, that's what they're reacting to.
00:13:19
Speaker 1: Then he should be fired. If he made a threat and wants to hit Carrie Ann, fire him right now, if that's what you believe.
00:13:25
Speaker 2: Yes, and that's the tough thing that I don't think anyone believes. And so, look, as good, I think as good as his apology was, his reaction after the suspension was even better.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: Yes, I agree with you 100%. And 50%. Now, Rogues, in that first post he made, he didn't necessarily explain the way he further explained which part of the whole Will Smith situation he might have been referencing. Now, in that, did he, I don't know, in the moment when he sent it out, where was his head? You know what? Do you have the minutes? How long?
00:14:05
Speaker 2: I don't.
00:14:06
Speaker 1: What time that post was? I wonder how immediately after.
00:14:10
Speaker 2: Probably, probably sooner than he should have. And he actually talks about that because, um, the reaction after the suspension, we did get a little bit of an explanation and I appreciate that the explanation didn't come in the apology. It only came after the suspension. And I think that was appropriate, but he wrote 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. 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. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole Dancing with the Stars family lots of love during dedication night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on. That's dedication night is this Tuesday, so tomorrow night. I think that was such a good response to the announcement that he was being suspended.
00:15:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, he didn't get mad at anybody. He didn't push back on anybody. He accepted it. And not only accepted it, he was a good teammate afterwards. He said, I'm going to be watching. Y'all make sure you check him out. He almost got a promo in there, didn't he?
00:15:28
Speaker 2: He did get a promo in there.
00:15:29
Speaker 1: Are they going to address this on Tuesday night? I don't know, babe. But this is, you know, we talk about, didn't they kick this show? I said kick it off. But the show went to streaming for a little while. That was a ratings thing. Right now it's back on TV. This can't be bad for the show, right? People are talking about it.
00:15:45
Speaker 2: I would imagine that Tuesday night's show is going to be one of the highest rated shows. in recent years, certainly of this season. But when we come back, something that has been really remarkable, the deafening silence of Carrie Ann Inaba. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. And we are talking about the controversy at Dancing with the Stars. Val Shmerkovsky, someone who we know and who we love and love him and his brother, Max, he's going through it right now. He has been officially suspended from the show this week and all because he referenced a meme that referenced... What happened at the Oscars in 2022? He's saying, hey, I only meant to reference the keep my wife's name out of your mouth thing. And it unfortunately was received about, yes, implying somehow that I wanted to slap Carrie Ann Anava.
00:16:45
Speaker 1: That is understandable. I think first people would go to that conclusion. Now, Ropes, in his mind, and that meme is out there everywhere. The one where he's very popular. He's like, keep my wife's name out of your mouth.
00:16:57
Speaker 2: Exactly. Exactly.
00:16:58
Speaker 1: Attach different people and faces and personalities yes it's there that's fine but there's also the meme that shows homeboy slapping the other homeboy yes so robes what was he referring i think if most people saw that initially will smith almost entered the room i think most people's minds would immediately go to violence.
00:17:15
Speaker 2: Yes him walking up on the stage and slapping chris yes.
00:17:19
Speaker 1: So if we just stay there robes then he should be suspended right If it just stays there, should his apology or explanation or his history, right? They even consider your criminal history, right? Selma Blair has never been in trouble with the law previously, and she's free to go. Right, you know what I'm saying? They consider your background. What should we do, babe? If we just go on what he said, does that require a suspension?
00:17:50
Speaker 2: I think... This is my personal opinion. Carrie Ann Inaba has a lot to do with the decision because if she had said, I accept your apology. I know you didn't mean it in that way. Everybody calm down. This would have gone away. I have to think that because we have heard nothing from her since he apologized. And I thought, again, a really good apology. And we've heard nothing from her since the suspension. And the only thing we have heard from her, hon, is very telling. right after the TikTok was put out, she then took a screenshot of it and said, so this is what we're doing now? And then thanked media outlets for bringing it to her attention. So I think it's pretty safe to say she was wildly upset about it. And the fact that she hasn't commented at all about his apology, these are two people who have known each other for 15 years and counting.
00:18:46
Speaker 1: On a hit show.
00:18:47
Speaker 2: On a hit show. So if I would have to imagine that the decision by the production company had to have been influenced by Carrie Ann Inaba. We don't know that, but it would make the most sense because we've heard nothing. She could have put this into a perspective that we all could have digested.
00:19:08
Speaker 1: Okay, but maybe her perspective is simply that there's a guy, I have a coworker who is threatening to physically harm me. Maybe that's as simple as that and how she sees it. It's just to have been with this guy and worked with him closely over 15 years, Robes, then that means they don't know each other at all. Or they don't like each other at all. Because I really put yourself in that position. How many coworkers have you had over the years that would make a statement like that? You think, wow, that dude's actually after me. You know people after a while, and that's a very simple thing. I know it was awful, and it sounded bad, and no one should be subjected to any type of language. suggesting something like this but i know val known him forever and i know good and hell well he wasn't suggesting that it's almost even admirable that he's taking up his wife as well as he can but as much as i love him i'm doing my job and that includes critiquing his wife right Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.
00:20:06
Speaker 2: Knocked it out. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
00:20:08
Speaker 1: Could have been done.
00:20:08
Speaker 2: And it would have been done. And look, this has really, look, I get that this is probably good for show ratings, but it certainly divided its viewers. Because if you go look online, it really is. It's back and forth. And people have very strong feelings. One person's, the show coddling staff for a dumb joke is pathetic. Everyone's so soft now, it's embarrassing. That's one side of it. Another one, good. I'm so tired of men making jokes about violence against women they don't like or disagree with. Have some respect. Talk about your disagreement not acting against her personally. That is over the line. He clearly felt emboldened to behave that way.
00:20:49
Speaker 1: That could be somebody's legitimate opinion. Yes. Yes.
00:20:53
Speaker 2: And people, you know, dumb joke. Threatening a judge is not a dumb joke. That is his co-worker. This isn't Real Housewives. There are morals to abide by. So look, you know, people... Yeah, but it's, look, it's, this is a tough, tough spot for him to be in. And this is going to be tough for the show, but people will be watching. They've already announced his replacement, Alan Burstyn. We don't watch the show religiously, but he's another pro dancer who was.
00:21:23
Speaker 1: Did you just say religiously?
00:21:24
Speaker 2: We don't watch the show at all.
00:21:25
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:21:26
Speaker 2: I didn't even really watch it that much even when we had to talk about it all the time. I'll be honest. It's just not our cup of tea. But we understand.
00:21:34
Speaker 1: You've been sneaking watching Dancing with the Stars?
00:21:36
Speaker 2: No, I have not.
00:21:37
Speaker 1: You said we don't watch it religiously.
00:21:39
Speaker 2: Well, I guess because we haven't... We're.
00:21:41
Speaker 1: Atheists in that regard because we don't watch it at all.
00:21:43
Speaker 2: It's so true. But over the years, we have seen it, obviously, because of what we did at Good Morning America. And this was one of the successful shows on the network. So, yes, we were... We've been involved in that culture and that show for a very long time, even though, yes, we do not watch it at all.
00:22:00
Speaker 1: Fun. Disney, baby. It's so confusing, isn't it? It's so confusing. He makes a joke. Again, we are both saying it was inappropriate.
00:22:10
Speaker 2: He's saying it, too.
00:22:11
Speaker 1: We're all saying that thing. But it's always, baby, the next thing. And I know, is there zero, does there have to always be zero tolerance for an error, for a mistake, an emotional mistake in this moment? But Robes, I see it, and this is the confusing part. Disney, a beloved part of a hit show you've had for 15 years, makes a crude joke, he's gone. But we want Frankie Taylor Paul to be the Bachelorette. And we're going to support that. And we know about her history.
00:22:55
Speaker 2: Oh my God, you just made such an unbelievable point.
00:22:58
Speaker 1: This is the confusing part in all of this sometimes, where you stand up at times for what is morally right, what you have to do. We have to do this because we need people safe, need to feel safe in their environment. And you put 25 guys... in an environment with a woman who has domestic violence on her record.
00:23:22
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:23:24
Speaker 1: Okay. What do you want me to do? How am I supposed to get so upset about Val when you tell me I shouldn't be upset that you got roses in her hand over here on the other side? It's confusing, baby. It's confusing to a lot of people. And if someone should have gotten a break out of those two people, Val and Taylor Frankie, just he's in your family.
00:23:49
Speaker 2: I think we've seen them not support their family in moments when I just think when you don't take into consideration the 15 years of stellar dedication to that show, to that network, it speaks volumes. And I just, I do think that there should have been, and I understand it's just a week, he wasn't fired, but it's still a public flogging and humiliation event. that I don't know is necessarily deserved. Because, yes, of course, we're all in agreement. Everyone, including Val, knows he shouldn't have done it. Can we not allow an apology, a very sincere and well-spoken apology, that can't be enough?
00:24:29
Speaker 1: No. We deal in absolutes now, baby. And you get one mistake, and that's it. Wow. It doesn't have to be a mistake. It just had to be a perceived one.
00:24:39
Speaker 2: That's a really good way to put it.
00:24:41
Speaker 1: And that's it.
00:24:42
Speaker 2: I'm sure everyone will be watching on Tuesday, and we shall see if Val returns the following Tuesday. Probably more to come on this one, but we always appreciate you listening to us, everyone. I'm Amy Robach, alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Monday, October 19th, and what is going on at Dancing with the Stars? For the first time in the show's history, a pro has been suspended. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. A pro robe, this guy would go back and I don't have to look at it. I would call him an OG even if he isn't one. Has he been there from the beginning, Val?
00:00:30
Speaker 2: So he was there from season two. He was like a background dancer. But then he became, I think in 2011, he became full-time pro. So he has over 15 years of being with the show and 10 consecutive years. as a pro dancer. That is a decade of work for fans.
00:00:50
Speaker 1: There are a few, Huff, obviously, but there are a few names and a few people that you just associate with this show and you forever will. Val is one of them. I keep calling him Val because I can rarely get his last name right.
00:01:03
Speaker 2: I actually put aâ it's so funny. We've been saying his name for years and years and years because Val and his brother, Max, are constantly on Good Morning America when we were there. So we had developed a relationship with them, and I still have trouble saying his last name. Val Shmirkovsky, I believe, is how you say it. I had to put it phonetically in for myself. And so, yes, Val Shmirkovsky. And he was Ginger's partner, correct? So, look, they have been a big part of ourâ circle for a long time. And it's just sad to see this because he is a decent human being.
00:01:38
Speaker 1: And this is another, Robes, in the line of a mistake made and no grace given one way or the other. And I understand this is a mistake and it was a bad one. And it was pointed out. I have no issues with that. But, Robes, this has blown up. into once again one of those things where we can't just talk to each other, talk it out, or even express frustration or anger without it getting ugly and nasty and threats, even death threats, being thrown around over this.
00:02:08
Speaker 2: It's tough because, yes, if you're a fan of the show, I would imagine you're a fan of Elle. And I think we can all extend some grace to folks who maybe react emotionally because you feel like you're defending someone you love. And that's exactly how Val described it. But he did, I think, put out a very solid apology. And I find it so interesting for him to have been on the show for more than a decade, for Carrie Ann Inaba to have been on the show for a long time. The fact that they couldn't work this out privately and It just seems really disturbing to think that, yes, the production company. And it was pretty shocking over the weekend because we heard his apology and it seemed like that was done. Yes, fans were weighing in on it either way. But we did not hear notably anything from Carrie Ann Inaba after the apology and after the suspension.
00:02:57
Speaker 1: But you said it, right? Val has his fans over the years. Carrie Ann does as well. And Carrie Ann's been a part of that show and a polarizing part, arguably. But still, she has a personality that people know and they like. And she has been a big part of that show's success over the years. So, yes, Robes. Some might have come... No, not might have. They did come out and defend her in her camp. And then, here you go. Now it's set off and everybody hates everybody. Is what we came to. When Robes... How can we not view this as nothing more? I say nothing more. But he made... A mistake. And yeah, it can even be a bad one. It can even be a bad one. But to now take it to where it's gone, Robes, is unfortunate to see.
00:03:38
Speaker 2: I agree, because I don't believe, and I think anyone who knows Val doesn't believe that he was actually encouraging or inciting or saying he was about to slap Carrie Ann Inaba in the face, because that is what people are implying. are saying basically, and even from the statement that came from the production company who puts together Dancing with the Stars, it was an insinuation that this was somehow violent rhetoric that couldn't be tolerated. I understand where they're drawing that conclusion from, but it seems like an overreach to imply that somehow He intended that.
00:04:13
Speaker 1: But this is the thing, right? We're supposed to have zero tolerance. You're supposed to, you have to do these things these days, right, Robes? Any suggestion, even, Robes, this is, you have to make the connection, right? I'm not, even if you want to stop short of saying this was a stretch. you do have to make the connection yourself because he didn't blatantly, he didn't say he wants to go hit a woman. Obviously he didn't. There is a connection and we understand. We'll explain exactly what he said. You'll be the judge and we get it. Robes, we do. We get it. But we don't put any nuance or any space for any nuance in this context, Robes. And I thought that I Why did they have to come that hard after him?
00:04:59
Speaker 2: I agree. I agree because they're afraid because look, this is a print. I would think it's fair to say, I don't have the numbers in front of me, but a predominantly female audience. And so they are overreacting, I believe, to what they think women might feel upon taking in what he put out on TikTok. I think there's plenty of women who also see a man defending his wife and think that's Like they understand it. I'm not saying they're defending it, but they understand it. And here's the original TikTok. Just it's one sentence. One sentence has caused all of this chaos. He put on TikTok will explain what it was in reaction to.
00:05:38
Speaker 1: You know, if you give that for everybody knows the show Dancing with the Stars, his wife. Is a pro on the show.
00:05:46
Speaker 2: Correct. Jenna Johnson.
00:05:47
Speaker 1: I don't even know who her partner is or the celebrity partner. Whatever. She is a pro on the show.
00:05:52
Speaker 2: Right.
00:05:52
Speaker 1: They do their routine. They stand there and they get judged. And the judges sometimes rip them apart, compliment them, whatever, give them a score. Okay. Carrie Ann Aniba. Anaba. Anaba. Sorry.
00:06:02
Speaker 2: Carrie Ann Anaba.
00:06:03
Speaker 1: And again, I know her name. I just mispronounced. She is giving her critique and she says they did a lift, which is illegal.
00:06:12
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:06:13
Speaker 1: After some pushback about the lift, she gets a little bit of an attitude and wants to prove her point. Pulls out a sheet of paper, let me read to you what a lift is, and gave the definition. So it was a tense back and forth about this lift that we will get into in a moment and tell you why it's controversial. Some are arguing, well, that's not really a lift anyway. So this tense back and forth goes on. The viewers are probably loving it because it's tension, fine. But the husband of the pro being critiqued was also watching. And Robes... That sets up why his reaction now is what it was. This wasn't just a normal something on the show. This was kind of a standout tense moment.
00:07:02
Speaker 2: It was controversial because, yes, Carrie Ann Inaba, I'm sorry, she did not need to condescendingly read the rule book back and say, this is what a lift is, any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time. with the assistance or support of their partner. Yeah, lift.
00:07:21
Speaker 1: Okay, I'm gonna, in her defense, she's just doing what she does. I, at this point, Rose, I don't see anything wrong with what Carrie Ann did, what the pro did. And now that leads us to that.
00:07:35
Speaker 2: Yes, yes. And look, Jenna was definitely confused because she said, I totally understand. I thought it was if you lifted your partner, but I totally hear Carrie Ann because the issue was there wasn't a lift between the pro and the celebrity. There was a moment where members of the troupe in the background, the background dancers, assisted him with a backflip.
00:07:56
Speaker 1: I mean, he was essentially laying... It wasn't even like they threw him up in the air. They just held his arms while he kind of on his own flipped backwards. But yes, his two feet did come off the ground.
00:08:05
Speaker 2: So a lot of people could see it and a lot of pro dancers have weighed in saying that Carrie Ann Inaba, you know, it's controversial with... the charge she made that somehow they violated the rules of the Samba.
00:08:18
Speaker 1: But she wanted to make her point, and she had a piece of paper there, and boom! It was, she had a, it's fine, but it's her.
00:08:25
Speaker 2: It did feel like she knew it was gonna be controversial, so she had the rule book waiting and ready.
00:08:30
Speaker 1: And she's done this before. With the same line, she's done this before.
00:08:33
Speaker 2: And producers probably love it, because as you pointed out, having this back and forth, it is all reminiscent of Simon Cowell on American Idol ripping apart folks.
00:08:41
Speaker 1: Yes, there you go.
00:08:41
Speaker 2: It creates this tension, and The audience loves it and then people react. But yes, unfortunately for Val Shmerkovsky, he reacted this way going onto TikTok afterwards and said, you almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.
00:08:58
Speaker 1: And that was it. Okay, so robes, you, me. If we see that, we have all this context now, but I know exactly what he's suggesting. But in reading that is the first thing that came to your mind would have been which part of that whole Will Smith thing?
00:09:17
Speaker 2: The slap. The slap. Yes. The slap that obviously Will Smith did in front of the world to Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars. And so, yes, that's where everyone got upset because they're thinking, wow, he's saying he was going to slap or he wanted to slap Carrie Ann Inaba.
00:09:35
Speaker 1: Period. Point blank. So people, you know, I'm not sure how much this went. Crazy online before the suspension. I'm not sure, or even before his apology. I'm not sure how much steam this had picked up, but it picked up enough that it needed to be addressed.
00:09:50
Speaker 2: Absolutely. So he, and I give Val Shmerkovsky total credit because he almost immediately, he took it down and on Instagram. this was his official apology. I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally. And I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal Dancing with the Stars family. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it. I recognize that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some And I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am and who I want to be for you all. That's a good apology.
00:10:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's kind of, I mean, what more can you say? I messed up. Um, I guess he could have gone into a little more detail or I would never do that. But it didn't seem like there was... You almost don't need to defend yourself against something we're not assuming you would do in the first place, right? If he'd have gone more into, I would never put my hands on him. Yeah, you shouldn't have to say that because we don't assume that of you in the first place. So in that respect... I thought it hit the notes it needed to hit.
00:11:09
Speaker 2: Yeah, he didn't explain himself. And by the way, so this all took place on Tuesday night, and he put out this apology on Thursday. So it took a little bit for that to build. But then, yes, by Saturday, we get this announcement from the production company. And this is where I just thought like, wow, you've got somebody who has been a beloved member of your team for more than a decade, and this is is your official statement. The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable. 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.
00:11:53
Speaker 1: It was inappropriate. The values of the show, anyone's connected. Non-negotiable. Well-being of everyone.
00:11:59
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:12:00
Speaker 1: All right. I mean, I get you have to you have to. We just have to make the assumption we don't want to listen. We can't listen. The crime is the crime, babe. This is not where they treated a difference of manslaughter, second degree, first degree. It's just all the same crime. And it doesn't matter if you said it in anger. It doesn't matter if you said it and didn't mean it. It doesn't matter if you said it and it was out of context. It doesn't matter if you were upset and defending your wife. Nothing else matters. Your history on this show doesn't even matter. Not having a single incident for the past 15 years, none of it matters, Val. All that matters is we have to react to how people might react to what you said. I don't know, babe, if there's ever going to, we can ever correct, should correct. Some are saying, yeah, he should be fired maybe even. Get rid of him completely. And I just, I don't know, babe, if we can ever take it as anything other than he said this. Therefore, this means he must admit this. And that means we got to take action. We are saying Val wanted to hit somebody. and he put it out there. Is that what we're saying?
00:13:16
Speaker 2: Yes, that's what they're reacting to.
00:13:19
Speaker 1: Then he should be fired. If he made a threat and wants to hit Carrie Ann, fire him right now, if that's what you believe.
00:13:25
Speaker 2: Yes, and that's the tough thing that I don't think anyone believes. And so, look, as good, I think as good as his apology was, his reaction after the suspension was even better.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: Yes, I agree with you 100%. And 50%. Now, Rogues, in that first post he made, he didn't necessarily explain the way he further explained which part of the whole Will Smith situation he might have been referencing. Now, in that, did he, I don't know, in the moment when he sent it out, where was his head? You know what? Do you have the minutes? How long?
00:14:05
Speaker 2: I don't.
00:14:06
Speaker 1: What time that post was? I wonder how immediately after.
00:14:10
Speaker 2: Probably, probably sooner than he should have. And he actually talks about that because, um, the reaction after the suspension, we did get a little bit of an explanation and I appreciate that the explanation didn't come in the apology. It only came after the suspension. And I think that was appropriate, but he wrote 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. 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. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole Dancing with the Stars family lots of love during dedication night. I'll be watching and cheering everyone on. That's dedication night is this Tuesday, so tomorrow night. I think that was such a good response to the announcement that he was being suspended.
00:15:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, he didn't get mad at anybody. He didn't push back on anybody. He accepted it. And not only accepted it, he was a good teammate afterwards. He said, I'm going to be watching. Y'all make sure you check him out. He almost got a promo in there, didn't he?
00:15:28
Speaker 2: He did get a promo in there.
00:15:29
Speaker 1: Are they going to address this on Tuesday night? I don't know, babe. But this is, you know, we talk about, didn't they kick this show? I said kick it off. But the show went to streaming for a little while. That was a ratings thing. Right now it's back on TV. This can't be bad for the show, right? People are talking about it.
00:15:45
Speaker 2: I would imagine that Tuesday night's show is going to be one of the highest rated shows. in recent years, certainly of this season. But when we come back, something that has been really remarkable, the deafening silence of Carrie Ann Inaba. Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. And we are talking about the controversy at Dancing with the Stars. Val Shmerkovsky, someone who we know and who we love and love him and his brother, Max, he's going through it right now. He has been officially suspended from the show this week and all because he referenced a meme that referenced... What happened at the Oscars in 2022? He's saying, hey, I only meant to reference the keep my wife's name out of your mouth thing. And it unfortunately was received about, yes, implying somehow that I wanted to slap Carrie Ann Anava.
00:16:45
Speaker 1: That is understandable. I think first people would go to that conclusion. Now, Ropes, in his mind, and that meme is out there everywhere. The one where he's very popular. He's like, keep my wife's name out of your mouth.
00:16:57
Speaker 2: Exactly. Exactly.
00:16:58
Speaker 1: Attach different people and faces and personalities yes it's there that's fine but there's also the meme that shows homeboy slapping the other homeboy yes so robes what was he referring i think if most people saw that initially will smith almost entered the room i think most people's minds would immediately go to violence.
00:17:15
Speaker 2: Yes him walking up on the stage and slapping chris yes.
00:17:19
Speaker 1: So if we just stay there robes then he should be suspended right If it just stays there, should his apology or explanation or his history, right? They even consider your criminal history, right? Selma Blair has never been in trouble with the law previously, and she's free to go. Right, you know what I'm saying? They consider your background. What should we do, babe? If we just go on what he said, does that require a suspension?
00:17:50
Speaker 2: I think... This is my personal opinion. Carrie Ann Inaba has a lot to do with the decision because if she had said, I accept your apology. I know you didn't mean it in that way. Everybody calm down. This would have gone away. I have to think that because we have heard nothing from her since he apologized. And I thought, again, a really good apology. And we've heard nothing from her since the suspension. And the only thing we have heard from her, hon, is very telling. right after the TikTok was put out, she then took a screenshot of it and said, so this is what we're doing now? And then thanked media outlets for bringing it to her attention. So I think it's pretty safe to say she was wildly upset about it. And the fact that she hasn't commented at all about his apology, these are two people who have known each other for 15 years and counting.
00:18:46
Speaker 1: On a hit show.
00:18:47
Speaker 2: On a hit show. So if I would have to imagine that the decision by the production company had to have been influenced by Carrie Ann Inaba. We don't know that, but it would make the most sense because we've heard nothing. She could have put this into a perspective that we all could have digested.
00:19:08
Speaker 1: Okay, but maybe her perspective is simply that there's a guy, I have a coworker who is threatening to physically harm me. Maybe that's as simple as that and how she sees it. It's just to have been with this guy and worked with him closely over 15 years, Robes, then that means they don't know each other at all. Or they don't like each other at all. Because I really put yourself in that position. How many coworkers have you had over the years that would make a statement like that? You think, wow, that dude's actually after me. You know people after a while, and that's a very simple thing. I know it was awful, and it sounded bad, and no one should be subjected to any type of language. suggesting something like this but i know val known him forever and i know good and hell well he wasn't suggesting that it's almost even admirable that he's taking up his wife as well as he can but as much as i love him i'm doing my job and that includes critiquing his wife right Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam.
00:20:06
Speaker 2: Knocked it out. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.
00:20:08
Speaker 1: Could have been done.
00:20:08
Speaker 2: And it would have been done. And look, this has really, look, I get that this is probably good for show ratings, but it certainly divided its viewers. Because if you go look online, it really is. It's back and forth. And people have very strong feelings. One person's, the show coddling staff for a dumb joke is pathetic. Everyone's so soft now, it's embarrassing. That's one side of it. Another one, good. I'm so tired of men making jokes about violence against women they don't like or disagree with. Have some respect. Talk about your disagreement not acting against her personally. That is over the line. He clearly felt emboldened to behave that way.
00:20:49
Speaker 1: That could be somebody's legitimate opinion. Yes. Yes.
00:20:53
Speaker 2: And people, you know, dumb joke. Threatening a judge is not a dumb joke. That is his co-worker. This isn't Real Housewives. There are morals to abide by. So look, you know, people... Yeah, but it's, look, it's, this is a tough, tough spot for him to be in. And this is going to be tough for the show, but people will be watching. They've already announced his replacement, Alan Burstyn. We don't watch the show religiously, but he's another pro dancer who was.
00:21:23
Speaker 1: Did you just say religiously?
00:21:24
Speaker 2: We don't watch the show at all.
00:21:25
Speaker 1: Okay.
00:21:26
Speaker 2: I didn't even really watch it that much even when we had to talk about it all the time. I'll be honest. It's just not our cup of tea. But we understand.
00:21:34
Speaker 1: You've been sneaking watching Dancing with the Stars?
00:21:36
Speaker 2: No, I have not.
00:21:37
Speaker 1: You said we don't watch it religiously.
00:21:39
Speaker 2: Well, I guess because we haven't... We're.
00:21:41
Speaker 1: Atheists in that regard because we don't watch it at all.
00:21:43
Speaker 2: It's so true. But over the years, we have seen it, obviously, because of what we did at Good Morning America. And this was one of the successful shows on the network. So, yes, we were... We've been involved in that culture and that show for a very long time, even though, yes, we do not watch it at all.
00:22:00
Speaker 1: Fun. Disney, baby. It's so confusing, isn't it? It's so confusing. He makes a joke. Again, we are both saying it was inappropriate.
00:22:10
Speaker 2: He's saying it, too.
00:22:11
Speaker 1: We're all saying that thing. But it's always, baby, the next thing. And I know, is there zero, does there have to always be zero tolerance for an error, for a mistake, an emotional mistake in this moment? But Robes, I see it, and this is the confusing part. Disney, a beloved part of a hit show you've had for 15 years, makes a crude joke, he's gone. But we want Frankie Taylor Paul to be the Bachelorette. And we're going to support that. And we know about her history.
00:22:55
Speaker 2: Oh my God, you just made such an unbelievable point.
00:22:58
Speaker 1: This is the confusing part in all of this sometimes, where you stand up at times for what is morally right, what you have to do. We have to do this because we need people safe, need to feel safe in their environment. And you put 25 guys... in an environment with a woman who has domestic violence on her record.
00:23:22
Speaker 2: Okay.
00:23:24
Speaker 1: Okay. What do you want me to do? How am I supposed to get so upset about Val when you tell me I shouldn't be upset that you got roses in her hand over here on the other side? It's confusing, baby. It's confusing to a lot of people. And if someone should have gotten a break out of those two people, Val and Taylor Frankie, just he's in your family.
00:23:49
Speaker 2: I think we've seen them not support their family in moments when I just think when you don't take into consideration the 15 years of stellar dedication to that show, to that network, it speaks volumes. And I just, I do think that there should have been, and I understand it's just a week, he wasn't fired, but it's still a public flogging and humiliation event. that I don't know is necessarily deserved. Because, yes, of course, we're all in agreement. Everyone, including Val, knows he shouldn't have done it. Can we not allow an apology, a very sincere and well-spoken apology, that can't be enough?
00:24:29
Speaker 1: No. We deal in absolutes now, baby. And you get one mistake, and that's it. Wow. It doesn't have to be a mistake. It just had to be a perceived one.
00:24:39
Speaker 2: That's a really good way to put it.
00:24:41
Speaker 1: And that's it.
00:24:42
Speaker 2: I'm sure everyone will be watching on Tuesday, and we shall see if Val returns the following Tuesday. Probably more to come on this one, but we always appreciate you listening to us, everyone. I'm Amy Robach, alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.