Val Chmerkovskiy Reportedly Pulled From Dancing With the Stars After Slap Joke

Reports say Dancing With the Stars took action against professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy after an inappropriate joke involving judge Carrie Ann Inaba and a slap. The available accounts differ on whether he was removed, pulled, or suspended.

The reports also differ in how they describe the joke. Variety and USA Today summaries connect it to Inaba and a slap, while another account links it to Will Smith’s widely known Oscars slap. None of the supplied reports provides the exact wording, date, setting, or length of Chmerkovskiy’s absence.

Production reportedly emphasized that staff well-being is “non-negotiable,” framing the matter as a workplace-conduct issue. However, the available information does not include a complete official statement from the show, ABC, Chmerkovskiy, Inaba, or their representatives.

What the Reports Say

Variety reported that Dancing With the Stars removed Chmerkovskiy after he made a joke about Carrie Ann Inaba slapping him Source 1.

USA Today also reported that the professional dancer was pulled after a remark involving Inaba Source 7.

Another supplied report says Chmerkovskiy was suspended after making a joke about Will Smith’s slap Source 9.

AL.com described the incident as the removal of a star after an “inappropriate” joke Source 3.

Together, the reports support a limited conclusion: Chmerkovskiy’s participation was reportedly interrupted after a slap-related joke. They do not establish the comment’s exact content, intent, context, or official disciplinary status.

Where the Accounts Diverge

The split is narrow but meaningful. One group of reports ties the remark to a person — Inaba — and describes the action as removal or a pull Source 1 Source 7 Source 5. Another ties it to a separate public event — Will Smith’s slap — and calls the action a suspension Source 9.

Both readings can describe one remark. A joke could reference Will Smith’s slap while landing on Inaba as its target, and outlets summarizing at different speeds could pick up one half of it. Nothing in the supplied reports resolves which half is accurate.

The Words Outlets Chose

“Removed,” “pulled,” and “suspended” carry different implications for a reader tracking the story:

• Removed is the broadest. It indicates absence from the production without stating permanence.
• Pulled is often used for a single episode or appearance, implying immediate short-term action.
• Suspended implies discipline with an assumed end point, though no end point appears in the reporting.

Because the summaries do not quote a formal disciplinary document, the labels may reflect editorial wording rather than distinct decisions by production.

What Remains Unclear

The supplied reports do not establish:

• The exact wording of the joke.
• Whether it referred to Inaba, Will Smith’s slap, or both.
• Whether it occurred during rehearsal, filming, a live broadcast, or a private interaction.
• The episode or production period involved.
• The length of the reported action.
• Whether Chmerkovskiy will return.
• Whether Inaba or Chmerkovskiy responded publicly.
• Whether anyone filed a complaint or what internal process production followed.

The distinction between “removed,” “pulled,” and “suspended” also remains unresolved. These terms could describe different stages of one decision or different interpretations of the same event. A suspension generally suggests a temporary measure, but no duration or return date has been reported.

Why These Gaps Matter

The missing details are not cosmetic. Wording determines whether a remark was aimed at a colleague, at a public figure outside the show, or at both at once. Setting determines whether an audience heard it live or a handful of colleagues heard it in a room. Duration determines whether the show treated it as a cooling-off measure or a lasting change.

Each answer points to a different story. A joke delivered on camera about an outside celebrity raises different questions than a joke about a sitting judge, delivered where coworkers could hear it.

How to Read Conflicting Reports

Readers comparing these summaries can separate what is agreed from what is contested. Agreed: a slap-related joke, a reported interruption in Chmerkovskiy’s participation, and production language about staff well-being. Contested: the target of the joke, the label applied to the action, and any duration.

A claim appearing in more outlets is not automatically correct — several summaries may trace to one underlying report. A claim appearing once is not automatically wrong. The reliable marker here is narrow: the shared facts are the ones the accounts repeat without contradiction.

Workplace-Conduct Context

Production reportedly said that staff well-being is “non-negotiable” Source 5.

That language suggests that production treated the remark as a workplace matter rather than only as entertainment or informal comedy. It does not identify a specific policy violation, confirm an internal finding, or establish that the show introduced new rules.

A joke can create workplace concerns even when presented as humor. Relevant factors could include the reference to physical violence, the target of the remark, the production setting, and its effect on colleagues. The available reports do not explain how those factors affected the decision.

What “Non-Negotiable” Signals

A phrase like “non-negotiable” functions as a boundary statement. It places well-being outside bargaining — not something traded against schedule, ratings, or seniority. In practice, that framing usually accompanies an action already taken rather than a debate still open.

The limits are worth stating. The phrase does not name a policy, does not describe an investigation, and does not confirm that Inaba was consulted. It signals priority, not process.

What a Conduct Review Would Normally Cover

A production handling a complaint about a remark would need to establish who heard it, how it was received, whether it referenced violence, and whether it targeted a colleague. Public reporting has supplied none of those findings. Without them, the “non-negotiable” statement reads as a principle applied rather than a conclusion explained.

Roles of Chmerkovskiy and Inaba

Val Chmerkovskiy is a professional dancer associated with Dancing With the Stars. His reported absence could affect rehearsals, choreography, celebrity pairings, or performance plans, but no specific programming change or replacement has been confirmed.

Carrie Ann Inaba is a judge on the show. Her position may explain the attention given to a remark involving her, but the reports do not say that she requested Chmerkovskiy’s removal or approved the production decision. No public response from Inaba is included in the supplied accounts.

Production Impact to Watch

A professional dancer’s absence reaches further than one slot in a lineup. Choreography is built around specific performers, and partner assignments are set in advance. If the reported action extends past a single episode, the practical questions become who fills the role, whether existing routines are reworked, and whether the change is acknowledged on air. None of those questions has an answer in the supplied reporting.

Conclusion

Reports say Val Chmerkovskiy was pulled, removed, or suspended from Dancing With the Stars after an inappropriate joke involving a slap. Several summaries connect the remark to Carrie Ann Inaba, while another links it to Will Smith’s slap. Production reportedly emphasized that staff well-being is “non-negotiable.”

The exact wording, setting, timing, duration, and official status of the action remain unconfirmed. The available reports also do not include responses from Chmerkovskiy, Inaba, the show, ABC, or Chmerkovskiy’s representatives. Further statements from the production or the individuals involved would be needed to resolve the conflicting descriptions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Val Chmerkovskiy reportedly pulled from Dancing With the Stars?

Reports say he was pulled, removed, or suspended after making an inappropriate joke involving a slap. Several accounts connect the remark to Carrie Ann Inaba.

What did Val Chmerkovskiy say?

The supplied reports do not provide the exact wording. One account describes a reference to Will Smith’s slap, while others connect the remark to Inaba and a slap.

Was Chmerkovskiy fired?

The available reporting does not confirm a permanent firing. No source provides a confirmed duration or final status.

Did Carrie Ann Inaba respond?

The supplied summaries do not include a public response from Inaba.

Will Chmerkovskiy return?

The reports do not confirm whether or when he will return. An official statement from the show, ABC, Chmerkovskiy, or his representatives would be needed to establish his status.

Is this a suspension or a removal?

The reports use both labels, plus “pulled.” No supplied source defines the action or states a duration, so the three terms cannot yet be separated.

What would resolve the conflicting accounts?

A statement from the show or ABC naming the action and its length, or a response from Chmerkovskiy or his representatives, would settle the label and the timeline.