Carrie Ann Inaba on Val Chmerkovskiy’s ‘DWTS’ Suspension, New Lift Rule

Carrie Ann Inaba is speaking out about the recent drama surrounding “Dancing With the Stars,” including her controversial comments about lifts.

“I have not spoken about what happened because of professional courtesy for those who are still competing, and we actually have standards and practices that keep us separated,” Inaba began in a comment on her recent Instagram carousel.

In one photo, she’s hugging Jenna Johnson during the Oct. 20 show, which was the episode Johnson’s husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, was benched after making an inappropriate comment toward Inaba. During that episode, Inaba called out Johnson’s lifts and when she pushed back, the judge read her the definition.

“But I think a part of this ‘headline’ has missed a few important parts of what happened,” Inaba continued. “I think it’s important for everyone to know that Jenna and I hugged it out after the Super Bowl show. Jenna was an absolute professional about it, and two women worked through the moment. It came to my attention later that Jenna was deeply hurt. So I also offered to speak with her at anytime. I have also offered to discuss the lift rule and how I enforce it. @sharnaburgess made a great video explaining lifts, assists and which dances allow and don’t allow them.”

The judge has always docked a point from dancers who do lifts, but has faced criticism over the last few seasons from those who feel that she picks and chooses whose lifts she points out and which she lets slide.

She continued in her comments, sharing that she hopes a change is made going forward.

“I think in the future, a new lift rule should be created for next season. I think a session of with all the dancers and the judges in a room together to discuss the history of how and why Len Goodman, our original producers and I defined the lift rule and the what the purpose is which is safety and fairness,” Inaba wrote. “The show has evolved tremendously, the way the show is cast has also changed, and so has our audience and the way they consume the show. So, working together to create a better understanding between the dancers and the judges and our audience is important to me, as we move forward and is something I have asked for.”

The ballroom has been tense since the lift comment was made by Inaba on Oct. 20. After the episode, Chmerkovskiy posted on TikTok, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” which most assumed was a reference to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022, after saying, “Keep my wife’s name out of your fucking mouth.” Chmerkovskiy quickly deleted the status, but not before many fans saw it.

Before last week’s Dedication Night, BBC Studios announced that he would not be competing that week.

“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,” BBC Studios said in a statement released on Saturday. “As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”

The professional dancer shared an apology on Instagram and said he personally reached out to Inaba as well. “

“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,” he wrote on Saturday. “Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.”