Professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy is stepping back onto the ballroom floor. After serving a one-week suspension that sidelined him from last week’s episode, Chmerkovskiy has officially resumed rehearsals and is set to reunite with his celebrity partner, Jenna Dewan, for the upcoming episodes of Dancing with the Stars Season 35.
The suspension came down from production following a controversial social media post shared by Chmerkovskiy. In the post, he responded to critique from judge Carrie Ann Inaba directed at his wife and fellow pro dancer, Jenna Johnson, who is partnered with Harry Shum Jr. Referencing the infamous 2022 Oscars incident, Chmerkovskiy posted that viewers “almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.” Although the post was quickly deleted, it drew widespread attention and led BBC Studios and show executives to take disciplinary action, citing that the remarks were inappropriate and did not align with the standard values expected of individuals connected to the series.
Chmerkovskiy subsequently issued a public apology, expressing deep remorse for his words and confirming that he had personally reached out to Inaba to make amends. During his brief absence from the show, fellow dancer Alan Bersten stepped in to perform with Dewan for Dedication Night, where the pair danced a powerful routine to “Unchained Melody” and earned strong scores that carried over, as no eliminations took place that week.
With his one-week suspension concluded, Chmerkovskiy has returned to practice alongside Dewan as the couples prepare for the next round of competition.
Source: Compiled from various sources
