Carrie Ann Inaba breaks silence on drama on “Dancing With the Stars”, requests ‘new lift rule’ for next season
Carrie Ann Inaba breaks silence on drama on “Dancing With the Stars”, requests ‘new lift rule’ for next season
Leigh BlickleyTue, October 27, 2026 at 5:06 PM UTC
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Carrie Ann Inaba on ‘DWTS’Credit: Eric McCandless/GettyKey Points -
Carrie Ann Inaba addressed her lift drama on DWTS.
The judge said she wants to request a “new lift rule” for next season.
Pro Val Chmerkovskiy was suspended from week 6 after making heated comments toward Inaba’s critiques of his wife, Jenna Johnson.
Carrie Ann Inaba wants to clear the air amid her Dancing With the Stars lift drama and unfortunate situation with Val Chmerkovskiy.
Ahead of Tuesday’s “Horror Movie Night,” the judge shared her thoughts on what happened between her and Chmerkovskiy’s wife, fellow pro Jenna Johnson. During the Oct. 13 episode, the two women had a tense exchange over an illegal lift in Johnson’s samba routine with celebrity partner, Harry Shum Jr.
On Instagram Monday, Oct. 26, Inaba noted that, despite the public fallout, she and Johnson “hugged it out” and “were always okay.”
“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 wrote in the comments section of her recent Instagram post. “But I think a part of this ‘headline’ has missed a few important parts of what happened.”
She 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.”
Inaba added in another note that she believes “a new lift rule should be created for next season.”
“I think a session 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 [is needed,” she 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.”
Inaba has been quiet the last few weeks after Johnson’s husband, Chmerkovskiy, posted controversial comments about the way she judged Johnson and Shum’s week 5 routine. At the time, Inaba asked Johnson to “put more content in your dances” and called her out for “a lift” in the number.
“A lift?” Johnson questioned, which led Inaba to grab a sheet of paper and read the definition of a lift as “any movement during which one of the dancers has both feet off the floor at the same time with the assistance or support of their partner.”
During the routine, Shum was clearly lifted in an assisted backflip by two members of the troupe. Although it’s not viewable in the video, it seems — when considering Inaba’s argument — that Johnson’s feet also might’ve accidentally left the ground during a turn movement with Shum shortly after the backflip. (After the routine, Johnson seemed confused as she told cohost Julianne Hough that she thought a lift meant “when you lifted your partner, but totally hear Carrie Ann. I will take it, sure.”)
Chmerkovskiy, however, didn’t take it and headed to social media to express his opinion of Inaba’s critiques. He sounded off in the comments section of a TikTok clip of Johnson and Shum getting their scores, writing, “Puts some respect on her name. Shes trippin talking to her like that.” Then, the Ukrainian-American dancer included the following text on a TikTok story: “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night” (per Entertainment Weekly’s sister site, PEOPLE).
Many considered that to be a reference to Will Smith’s infamous Oscars moment in 2022, when he slapped host Chris Rock for a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. After storming the stage and striking Rock, Smith returned to his seat and said, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f---ing mouth!”
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In response to Chmerkovskiy’s words, Inaba wrote in a now-deleted post, “So this is what we are doing now?”
Chmerkovskiy later apologized via Instagram Story, writing: “I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post. I have reached out to Carrie Ann to apologize directly and personally, and I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal DWTS family. I should have never made the reference that I did and I deeply regret it.”
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Chmerkovskiy added, “I recognize that l am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some, and I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who l am, and who I want to be for you all. I am truly sorry to Carrie Ann, and everyone who I hurt with my careless post. I will do better moving forward.”
BBC Studios, which produces DWTS, later confirmed that Chmerkovskiy wouldn’t be dancing during “Dedication Night,” due to the predicament.
“The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable,” a statement read. “Val’s social media post was inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show. As a result, he will not participate in next week’s show.”
Val Chmerkovskiy in Sept. 2026Credit: Travis Ball/Billboard via Getty
Chmerkovskiy, who’s partnered with celebrity Jenna Dewan, addressed his absence on last week’s episode on Instagram.
“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. Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and hate that she was,” he wrote on Saturday.
Chmerkovskiy concluded his statement by praising Dewan: “The last thing I want is to become a distraction from an important week or from the incredible work my dance partner Jenna Dewan is putting in. Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!”
Dewan ended up dancing with pro Alan Bersten, and received a 37 out of 40 for their Viennese waltz. Chmerkovskiy returns for week 7’s Halloween theme.
New episodes of Dancing With the Stars season 35 air on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
