What to Know
The pros on Dancing With the Stars can perform to the best of their abilities, but there is always the chance that they come up short with their celebrity partners. I mean, not everyone can get a 10 from every judge and most of the time, that’s rare. But when Jenna Johnson received some less than favorable scores, most notably from judge Carrie Ann Inaba, her husband and fellow pro Val Chmerkovskiy was not happy.
So unhappy, in fact, that he did nothing to hide his disgusted face as Jenna received her scores during a live episode with celebrity partner actor Harry Shum Jr. A clip from the episode quickly went viral, showing Jenna receiving Carrie Ann’s score while Val reacts to it right behind her in real time. However, fans aren’t totally sure that Val’s reaction and follow-up response were warranted.
Val Chmerkovskiy’s wife scored lower than he expected on ‘Dancing With the Stars.‘
@alexandraa_mariee pov: when the judges don’t give a 9, but your man is fine 💃🏻 #justiceforjenna #dwts #dancingwiththestars @Val @jennajohnson ♬ original sound – lex⸆⸉ 🤍
In the clip, Harry and Jenna receive a nine, but three scores of eight from the other three judges. When Carrie Ann’s eight is declared, Val frowns behind Jenna and looks increasingly annoyed as Derek Hough’s score of eight is also said out loud. Val seemed to believe his wife deserved higher scores than the combined score of 33 out of a possible 40. Again, getting a perfect 40 is not very common on DWTS.
In the comments under the TikTok, plenty of fans agreed with the judges rather than Val. Some called out Jenna for her choreography with Harry and how the eights might have even been generous. Others wondered if Val and Carrie Ann have some unaired beef that no one knows about. Either way, though, fans don’t seem to be in agreement that Val’s annoyance is warranted when it comes to Jenna’s scores.
His on-air reaction got some criticism.
Other DWTS fans called out Val in a Reddit post about the clip from the episode. Val might be competing against his wife during the same season, but apparently, he wants her to go as far as him and his celebrity partner. It still isn’t enough to get fans to back him up, though.
“Someone needs to humble Val, for real,” one person commented on the Reddit post. “His attitude this season has been very ick to me. The pros can be mad or disagree with the judges while keeping it to themselves and acting like professionals. This behavior isn’t helpful for Harry or Jenna D either.”
“I get defending his wife and CAI can be rude sometimes but Jenna just feels different this season,” someone else commented. “Harry is full of life in his dances and she’s…there imo. He could do so much more than what he’s being given honestly. It’s why I wish we had a partner switch this season just to see what he would do with another pro teaching him for a week.”
Another person called out Jenna. They wrote, “Imagine acting this unprofessional about receiving criticism during your JOB. She isn’t performing well. This is on her and she has to accept that she could be giving Harry better choreo.”
Val Chmerkovskiy commented on a video of his ‘DWTS’ reaction.
@valentinchmerkovskiy Ty for the love last night ❤️ from me and Dewanovich #dwts @Jenna Dewan ♬ original sound – 💍MrsHorne🇨🇦
In the comments under the same clip, Val actually wrote, “Put some respect on her name. She’s trippin talking to her like that.”
He also reportedly added and then deleted in the comments of his own TikTok, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
This was likely in reference to Will Smith infamously slapping Chris Rock at the 94th Academy Awards in 2022 and telling him to keep his wife’s name out of his mouth. During Carrie Ann’s critique of Jenna on the Ballroom floor, she called out Jenna and Harry for a lift during their dance and there was a tense exchange at that point. However, Val’s reactions are what people are focused on now.
“Are they not worried about getting fired or any other professional consequences internally?” A Redditor commented on the Reddit thread about it. “I know emotions are high and the judges and pros are close/lines can be blurred at times but this kind of out of office online trash talk would be unacceptable in any other profession? Even NFL. Lol I love them both, but this feels awkward.”
Someone else agreed that “it’s embarrassing for Val and Jenna at this point.”
Carrie Ann saw the post and shared her thoughts on social media.
According to publications, Carrie Ann responded to the post Val made, re-sharing a screenshot of a Page Six post of the story, adding, “So this is what we are doing now?”
As online chatter and frustration grew, Val issued a public apology.
“I want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for my recent post,” the ‘DWTS’ pro wrote on Instagram Stories.
“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. I recognize that I 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 I am, and who I want to be for you all.”
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