Inaba explains her silence and the reconciliation
Carrie Ann Inaba has addressed the Dancing with the Stars controversy that followed Val Chmerkovskiy's suspension, and she is asking the program to adopt a fresh lift rule. The judge had drawn attention on the October 13 broadcast when she flagged professional dancer Jenna Johnson for a lift, a move that ballroom competitions discourage. In a recent Instagram post, Inaba explained that she had stayed quiet out of professional courtesy toward contestants still in the competition, noting that standards and practices rules keep judges and competitors apart.[S1]
According to Inaba, the headline version of events left out key details. She said she and Johnson embraced and settled their differences after the Super Bowl show, describing Johnson as thoroughly professional and the episode as two women resolving a difficult moment. Inaba added that she later learned Johnson had been deeply hurt, so she offered to talk with her whenever she wished and to explain the lift rule and how she applies it. She also credited Sharna Burgess with a helpful video on lifts, assists and which dances permit them.[S1]
A call for a revised rule and a joint session
In the comments of her post, Inaba argued that next season should bring a newly written lift rule. She proposed gathering all the dancers and judges in one room to go over how the lift rule came about, how she, original producers and Len Goodman defined it, and what it is meant to achieve: safety and fairness. Inaba observed that the show has changed enormously, from the way it is cast to the audience and how viewers consume it, and she said building better understanding among dancers, judges and the public matters to her going forward, something she has already requested.[S1]
The social media post behind the suspension
The friction began during the October 13 episode, when Inaba and Johnson disagreed sharply over what counts as a lift. Chmerkovskiy, Johnson's husband, then posted a cryptic social media remark saying viewers nearly saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom, an allusion to Will Smith striking Chris Rock at the Oscars to defend his wife. BBC Studios responded by suspending the pro dancer for one week, calling his post inappropriate and saying it did not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone tied to the show.[S1]
Chmerkovskiy has since removed the comment and apologized to Inaba. He explained that his instinct to defend his wife led him to make a poor decision by invoking a meme to keep her name out of the discussion, without considering what else that reference might suggest, which he said was never his aim. He added that Inaba did not deserve to be drawn into the middle of his bad judgment and that he regretted it.[S1]
