Sherri Shepherd Defends DWTS Pro Val Chmerkovskiy

Sherri Shepherd has publicly defended Val Chmerkovskiy following his recent one-week suspension from "Dancing with the Stars." Chmerkovskiy, Shepherd's former partner from season 14 in 2012, was suspended for a social media comment referencing Will Smith's Oscars slap. He had posted, "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," after judge Carrie Ann Inaba's critique of his wife, Jenna Johnson. The remark was widely seen as invoking the incident where Smith slapped Chris Rock. Chmerkovskiy swiftly apologized, acknowledging his poor judgment and that Inaba was unfairly caught in the middle. Shepherd expressed her full support, texting Chmerkovskiy immediately. She emphasized his good nature and stated her belief that his intentions were misinterpreted. Shepherd assured him that his character would shine through and expressed her unwavering "Team Val" stance. During Chmerkovskiy's absence, his celebrity partner danced with Alan Bersten. He had expressed that he did not want to be a distraction. Upon his return on October 27th, Chmerkovskiy and Inaba reportedly shared an embrace, indicating the situation had been resolved.