Overview
- BBC Studios announced a one-week suspension for Val Chmerkovskiy after he posted a now-deleted social-media comment referencing the 2022 Oscars slap, and Chmerkovskiy issued both a public apology and a private apology to judge Carrie Ann Inaba.
- Alan Bersten was officially tapped to partner with Jenna Dewan for Tuesday’s Dedication Night so Dewan could continue competing without disrupting the live show.
- Multiple outlets report that Chmerkovskiy expects to return the following week and has been supportive of Dewan while watching the episode from home.
- Sources differ over whether Inaba filed a formal HR complaint and whether Chmerkovskiy will be paid or face additional discipline, leaving key internal personnel and policy questions unresolved.
- The suspension — reported as the first known disciplinary benching of a DWTS professional — has focused attention on how live-entertainment productions enforce conduct rules, manage social-media fallout, and protect workplace wellbeing.