Fans Say Val Chmerkovskiy Made Another Joke Implying Violence Against Carrie Ann Inaba in Resurfaced Interview

Some social media users were aghast when they saw 'Dancing With the Stars' (DWTS) professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy make another joke that they interpreted as implying violence in a resurfaced TV interview. 'And I know where she parks her car. I'm just saying,' Chmerkovskiy told ET when asked about Carrie Ann Inaba's comments that week.

The interview in question happened after the 29 September episode of 'DWTS', following the third week of competition, dubbed Yacht Rock Night. Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Dewan danced a samba to Toto's 'Africa' during that themed week.

They received a score of 21 out of a perfect 30, which was good enough for a tie in fourth place.

What the Judges Said

After the dance, Bruno Tonioli said about the performance: 'This is a sizzling tropical treat... I love your drive; you're incredible. The amount of content—insane.'

However, it wasn't all positive, as Tonioli noted a 'slight stumble'. 'You put so much into that that your shoulders went up and up and up... Keep the shoulders down,' he also said.

Before giving her critique, Inaba asked Dewan if she was okay after the stumble. Upon hearing that she was, she went on to comment: 'We all know you are amazing. I love watching you dance. I love having this seat right here—I want to see it.'

'Okay, I'm gonna tell you because I think you deserve to know something: that I think you're pushing too hard,' Inaba said, which was immediately followed by some jeering from the audience. 'But I do, I think you're pushing too hard. I think you could relax and trust the process a little bit more.'

Inaba added: 'It's okay to not be up here every time. Let it breathe.' Dewan was listening intently to the feedback and nodding along.

Jenna Dewan Agrees With Carrie Ann Inaba

Judge Derek Hough appreciated Dewan's dance, especially with all the samba content amid the high expectations from the public because of 'The Rookie' actress's dance experience. But even Hough said he would want to see Dewan in a ballroom-style dance that is smooth and just 'letting it breathe'.

Immediately after the judges' feedback, Dewan said: 'I value what the judges say so much. I also understand because I always have a lot of fire when I dance.'

Dewan said almost the same thing when interviewed by ET after the show. 'I love their perspective. I want to take it and try to work with it...' Dewan told interviewer Denny Directo before Chmerkovskiy interrupted with a joke some viewers interpreted as implying violence.

Val Chmerkovskiy Is Suspended

The 'parking joke' incident happened just two weeks before the controversial social media post that got Chmerkovskiy suspended. It stemmed from Inaba's comments about a lift in the dance performed by Chmerkovskiy's wife, Jenna Johnson, and her partner, Harry Shum Jr.

After the show, Chmerkovskiy, in a since-deleted social media post, said: 'You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.' He later explained that he was referencing Will Smith's infamous 'Keep my wife's name out your f***ing mouth!' remark at the Oscars. He said he had not intended to imply violence and apologised to Inaba.

BBC Studios, in announcing Chmerkovskiy's suspension, said: '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.'