On Oct. 13, during week five of Dancing with the Stars (DWTS), Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended after posting a statement online about a disagreement between his wife Jenna Johnson and judge Carrie-Ann Inaba.
Val Chmerkovski and his partner on Dancing With The Stars, Jenna Dewan rehearsing together for their Paso Doble.
| Instagram, @valentin |
Inaba and Johnson disagreed on a call made about an illegal lift in her dance, and also that Johnson needs to add more content to her dances.
After the episode, Chmerkovskiy posted on his TikTok, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” referencing Will Smith and Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
On March 27, 2022 at the Academy Awards, Rock made a joke during his speech about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, comparing her to GI Jane. Smith went up on stage, slapped Rock, and while returning to his seat, yelled, “keep my wife’s name out of your mouth.”
Later, Smith apologized on stage during his acceptance speech, and after the show ended, he issued a written apology to Rock. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences later had Smith give up his membership and gave him a ten-year ban from all events and programs starting April 8, 2022.
Chmerkovskiy’s message gained attention on social media, from his fanbase and the fanbase of DWTS. Variety said that the post was taken down quickly, but not before Inaba was made aware of the comment.
DWTS management decided to suspend Chmerkovskiy for week six. His dance partner, Jenna Dewan, danced with Alan Bersten in his place, who was eliminated in week three.
Junior Kayleigh Lauten believes that although his post was meant as a joke, people should be mindful of what they are posting especially in regards to their workplace.
“I don’t think Val should have made the post, but it was taken out of context. I do not think he should be suspended for the week because of it,” said Lauten. “Carrie-Ann Inaba was rude as well, but we do have to remember that this is someone’s work environment. Inappropriate comments, no matter where you work, are not okay.”
For freshman Katarina Carvalho, celebrities have a much larger impact on social media, compared to ordinary people whose posts do not carry as much weight.
“He made a comment, felt provoked, but this was a disagreement that did not have to turn into something huge,” said Carvalho.
“Social media fanbases are loyal, so if a public figure comments, their fans will support them 100%. Social media creates a larger issue involving many people, simply because everyone wants to give their input on a situation, or state their opinion, especially if it is a trending topic,” said freshman Emily Nazar, a dancer and fan of the show.
Nazar said she believes that Chmerkovskiy was held to basic corporate standards, and although he did not mean for it to imply violence, it was unprofessional.
“Making posts on social media puts it out there for the entire world to see, and if a comment is negative towards something or someone, it can create a wave of backlash thrown at that thing or person, creating almost a cycle of hate,” said Nazar.
Dr. Belinha De Abreu, a professor in the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, said that there is a difference between an at-will employee and a celebrity. While at-will
employees are censored in what they can say by their company’s policies, celebrities do not have that same restriction. Some celebrities choose to be private, while others will speak out on whatever topic they feel passionate about.
Chmerkovskiy later issued an apology on Instagram, saying he had only meant to reference Smith’s statement, “keep my wife’s name out of your mouth,” and did not think about the other implications that could follow that reference.
“He made a threat, and it’s not something that should be taken lightly, and I think that when you suspend someone, you hold everyone to the standard with how they should treat people,” said Carvalho.
