Carrie Ann Inaba responds to Val Chmerkovskiy’s threat
16 october 2026 в 11:37
Carrie Ann Inaba responded to Val Chmerkovskiy’s joking threat that he might hit her in the style of Will Smith following a recent incident on «Dancing with the Stars». Chmerkovskiy, 40, faced criticism after Inaba, 58, criticized the choreography of his wife Jenna Johnson during the broadcast on October 13.
In his deleted TikTok post, Chmerkovskiy seemingly referenced the incident involving Will Smith, who slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022. Inaba reacted to this threat by asking on Instagram, «Is this how we behave now?» She also shared a screenshot of a Page Six post featuring Chmerkovskiy and Smith.
The dispute began after Johnson and her partner on the show, Harry Shum Jr., received a score deduction for an illegal lift. Inaba noted that Shum was assisted by two dancers, which contradicts the rules of traditional samba. Johnson, 32, expressed confusion over Inaba’s remark, to which the judge explained that a lift is any movement where one dancer is in the air with the help of their partner.
After their performance, the couple received a score of 33 out of 40, and Johnson stated that she respects Inaba’s opinion and is willing to accept criticism. While the couple continues to compete in the contest, Inaba’s criticism sparked heated discussions off-camera. Val’s brother, former «Dancing with the Stars» participant Maksim Chmerkovskiy, also weighed in, noting that the rules regarding lifts apply only to dancing couples, not to additional dancers.
In his deleted TikTok post, Chmerkovskiy seemingly referenced the incident involving Will Smith, who slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022. Inaba reacted to this threat by asking on Instagram, «Is this how we behave now?» She also shared a screenshot of a Page Six post featuring Chmerkovskiy and Smith.
The dispute began after Johnson and her partner on the show, Harry Shum Jr., received a score deduction for an illegal lift. Inaba noted that Shum was assisted by two dancers, which contradicts the rules of traditional samba. Johnson, 32, expressed confusion over Inaba’s remark, to which the judge explained that a lift is any movement where one dancer is in the air with the help of their partner.
After their performance, the couple received a score of 33 out of 40, and Johnson stated that she respects Inaba’s opinion and is willing to accept criticism. While the couple continues to compete in the contest, Inaba’s criticism sparked heated discussions off-camera. Val’s brother, former «Dancing with the Stars» participant Maksim Chmerkovskiy, also weighed in, noting that the rules regarding lifts apply only to dancing couples, not to additional dancers.
© Kolganov Andrey
