Dancing With The Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba has been defended by fans after being trolled amid the Val Cherkovskiy drama that has engulfed the show.
Val has been “banned” from this week’s show after making a remark on social media suggesting he would slap the judge. He has since apologised for his comment.
Dancing With The Stars’ Carrie Ann Inaba embroiled in drama
The dispute between Carrie Ann and Val began on October 13, when the judge criticised an illegal lift during Jenna Johnson’s samba on Super Bowl Night.
Val, who is married to Jenna, defended his wife on social media. In a post, he wrote: “You almost saw the Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.”
This was a reference to the infamous incident at the Oscars in 2022, when Will Smith (the Fresh Prince in question), slapped Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife, Jada.
Val’s remark appeared to suggest he was going to slap Carrie Ann.
Val was subsequently benched, with a spokesperson for BBC Studios saying: “The well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable.”
The spokesperson said his post did not meet the standards expected of those connected with the programme.
Val subsequently apologised, saying he had not intended the implication of the reference.
View this post on Instagram
Carrie Ann trolled as Val is benched
Under a recent video uploaded to her Instagram, Carrie Ann was trolled by fans who appeared to be outraged at Val’s benching.
“Wait, so how do I vote for you to go home?” one fan asked. “You’ve worked with Val for how long? You know his character and that his statement was clearly a joke. You didn’t feel threatened; you wanted to prove a point and show your authority. Get over yourself,” another wrote.
“Can you also be benched on Tuesday?” a third asked. “Please leave the show you would be doing everyone a favor,” another added.
“#JusticeForVal,” a fifth commented.
However, there was plenty of support for the star too.
Carrie Ann defended
Taking to the comments of her post, fans flooded the star with love.
“Don’t listen to the haters, queen; all real DWTS fans love you!!!!!! They’re going to move on to the next popular thing in 2 years, and you will still be here queening out,” one said.
“They could never make me hate you, Carrie Ann. A DWTS original,” another wrote.
“Just here to send some love your way. I love you and your energy in the ballroom. Don’t let anyone affect your shine,” a third gushed.
“I support you Carrie Ann,” another added.
Dancing With the Stars airs tonight (Tuesday, October 20) on ABC and Disney+ at 8pm ET.
What did you think of this story? Let us know on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.