DWTS pro Val Chmerkovskiy references Will Smith Oscars incident while defending wife Jenna Johnson

Professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy defended his wife, fellow "Dancing With the Stars" pro Jenna Johnson, after judge Carrie Ann Inaba critiqued Johnson's choreography during the Super Bowl Night episode. Johnson and celebrity partner Harry Shum Jr. performed a samba to Usher’s "Yeah!" and received scores of 33 out of 40, with judges Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli each giving an eight and guest judge Joe Buck a nine.

Inaba told Johnson she needed to add more "content" to her dances and explained the definition of a lift during the live broadcast. Johnson responded with a brief question, "A lift?" after the clarification.

Following the episode, Chmerkovskiy posted a TikTok Story that read, “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” which prompted speculation that the comment alluded to Will Smith’s 2022 Oscars altercation with Chris Rock. The post was later removed.

"Puts some respect on her name. She's trippin talking to her like that," Chmerkovskiy wrote in response to comments on the video, though he did not name Inaba directly.

Social media users debated the meaning of Chmerkovskiy's TikTok, with some suggesting it referenced Smith’s reaction to a joke about his wife at the Oscars. The Hollywood Reporter contacted ABC, Inaba and Chmerkovskiy’s representatives for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.