Carrie Ann Inaba Calls for New Lift Rule

On Oct. 13, a meme about Will Smith's Oscar slap landed a DWTS pro in a one-week suspension. Val Chmerkovskiy posted the meme after Judge Carrie Ann Inaba called Jenna Johnson a lift on the ABC show. BBC Studios called the post inappropriate and suspended him for one week, citing the show's values. Chmerkovskiy deleted the comment and apologized, saying he'd used a meme to "keep my wife's name" out of the conversation. Inaba later shared that she and Johnson hugged it out after the Super Bowl episode, offering to discuss lift rules. She's now calling for a new lift rule next season, urging judges and dancers to clarify safety and fairness. The Halloween-themed episode, the first to feature the new lift debate, saw no eliminations before the double-elimination night. The incident underscores how a single meme can ripple through a live show, affecting judges, couples, and the show's rules.