Val Chmerkovskiy's suspension from DWTS linked to HR complaint over slap remark aimed at Carrie Ann Inaba

Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba had complained to human resources about Val Chmerkovskiy's remark referring to Will Smith's Oscars slap, leading to the dance pro's suspension, according to a new report.

Inaba, 58, was upset by the comments and reported them to the human resources department for the show's production company BBC Productions, a source close to the situation told TMZ Monday.

Inaba, who had felt 'threatened' by the comment, 'demanded' a response from the organization in the wake of the remark, a source told the outlet.

A separate source told TMZ that the probe had begun after BBC Productions officials saw Chmerkovskiy's comment, not confirming it was Inaba who reported the remark.

Chmerkovskiy, 40, had been told he'd been suspended for an episode due to company procedure, a source told the outlet.

The Daily Mail has reached out to representatives for Chmerkovskiy, Inaba, ABC and BBC for further comment on the story.

The controversy stems from Inaba's critique of Chmerkovskiy's wife Jenna Johnson over her inclusion of a lift during her October 13 dance routine with Harry Shum Jr.

Inaba said that the move did not adhere to standards of the samba, classifying it 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.'

Chmerkovskiy the next day said in a TikTok post (he later deleted), 'You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night.'

The comment alluded to Will Smith's infamous slap of Chris Rock during the 2022 Oscars after Rock joked about Smith's spouse Jada Pinkett Smith.

Chmerkovskiy left another remark on a different clip which showed him watching the score, writing, 'Puts some respect on her name. Shes trippin talking to her like that.'

On Saturday, BBC Studios issued a statement to The Daily Mail confirming Chmerkovskiy's suspension, saying that 'the well-being of everyone who works on Dancing with the Stars is non-negotiable.

'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.'

Pro dancer Alan Bersten will fill in for Chmerkovskiy and dance with Jenna Dewan in the coming week. 

In the wake of his suspension, Chmerkovskiy issued a statement on Instagram apologizing to the judge for his social media posts referring to the Smith incident.

'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,' Chmerkovskiy said. 'Carrie Ann certainly didn’t deserve to get caught in the middle of my bad judgment, and I hate that she was.'

Chmerkovskiy said in his statement that 'the last thing' he sought was 'to become a distraction' as the season moves forward.

He added, 'Please send Carrie Ann, Jenna, and the whole DWTS family lots of love during Dedication Night. I’ll be watching and cheering everyone on!!'

Chmerkovskiy has not previously had any complaints filed against him, insiders told TMZ, and accepted the decision and is preparing for his comeback next week.

He has been supported by colleagues in the wake of the suspension, sources said.

It was not immediately clear if his pay had been suspended for the week he's sidelined.