# Carrie Ann Inaba on Val Chmerkovskiy's 'DWTS' Suspension, New Lift Rule

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-10-27 19:20 UTC · Category: Entertainment

## Executive Summary
Judge Carrie Ann Inaba addresses the fallout of Val Chmerkovskiy's suspension and proposes new safety rules for lifts on 'Dancing With the Stars'.

## Intelligence Brief
Carrie Ann Inaba has broken her silence regarding a series of controversies currently impacting 'Dancing With the Stars'. Central to the discourse is the suspension of Val Chmerkovskiy and a contentious situation involving a lift penalty that affected Jenna Johnson. Inaba has used recent platforms to address the tension surrounding these events, specifically discussing the professional and personal friction that emerged following the liftgate incident. The judge has now publicly proposed the implementation of new lift rules for the competition, stating that these changes are intended to enhance the safety of the performers during the show's routines. Coverage of these events is widespread across several major entertainment and news outlets. Variety and USA Today have focused on Inaba's comments regarding the suspension of Val Chmerkovskiy.


Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly and People.com have highlighted the broader 'lift drama' and the controversy surrounding the penalties. TheWrap and Yahoo have provided specific details regarding the interpersonal conflict between Inaba and Jenna Johnson, noting that the latter was 'deeply hurt' by the sequence of events. These outlets collectively emphasize the shift from the competitive nature of the dance floor to the administrative and emotional fallout occurring behind the scenes. To understand the current stakes, the coverage points to a specific 'liftgate' incident that led to a controversial penalty. This event created a rift between Inaba and Jenna Johnson, necessitating a period of reconciliation. The context provided by the reporting suggests that the current rules regarding lifts may be insufficient or too vaguely defined, leading to the safety concerns and judging disputes that Inaba is now attempting to rectify through her proposed rule changes.


The suspension of Val Chmerkovskiy further adds to the instability of the current season's professional lineup, marking a period of significant internal friction for the franchise. Moving forward, the focus remains on whether the production of 'Dancing With the Stars' will officially adopt the new lift rules proposed by Inaba to prevent future safety issues. Observers are also watching the resolution of Val Chmerkovskiy's suspension. Regarding the personal conflict, Inaba has stated that she and Jenna Johnson have 'hugged it out' and that she has cleared the air with Johnson. Future coverage will likely track if these reconciled relationships and proposed safety measures result in a more stable environment for the remaining contestants and judges as the competition continues.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline | 'DWTS' Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Speaks Out After Val Chmerkovskiy Suspension & Calls For "New Lift Rule" | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxNVXJfT2dxTEt0bkx6aDBKcmxUM09xYmNUb09TYTI5MzJsaUlLNDkzSkhtZ1hmZGlEMnc1NFFrRi05WjdDVjV4WTZmbnZiQ3pwcWlBRVJORWtaZFdtUHFCeGNMQXlpQXhkQnd6SklRZVNNak1jZ1FhS3d3UHBxMi1Sck1fcnBSMHJqWk1mVl9nV2ZLQWM3?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | ‘DWTS’ Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Speaks Out After Val Chmerkovskiy Suspension & Calls For “New Lift Rule” | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxOcnB6ZC1GY09rMmpISkFFRHdNX0psLTNUUEVBY04zc2podk5fc1ZmX1JwaWNKVTJFNHV3TUQtOVp0aVZSWS1pb1pwWXpTMlJYdEh6UzJjY1ZYak9VR3Izd3hzR1FKd0wyWFJORkxKTGFEN0RNa1FuT3RwR3NnTHp6dmJZNzBDdlBSaFZKUVFDZmcxY2pN?oc=5) |
| TV Insider | ‘DWTS’ Jenna Johnson & Carrie Ann Inaba Share Sweet Moment After Val’s Controversy | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxNdExobHBsTmc0UXFEanFJbWc2OWF2M3lNQXp6MjJxUUFKcmljZy14VzN5dU9DZ3gzakRHdlZUSDVPY21URjVKNGt4c0JoRnQycGF5MkVnQzc0Qmc0Z1IwZWE2SUhJaU9fc0VpN0tBdTQ5OU4xQzV2MnNSOF9rb0tjanN4YzNQUWFiMFJGYzNwUWhuUUt2aVM4M0ctNE04VXRFcmFRR19Ec2Focnk4QjF3cUlJXzRMZw?oc=5) |
| TODAY.com | ‘DWTS’ Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Breaks Her Silence Over Jenna Johnson Lift Criticism | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirgFBVV95cUxPV0JVWmRTT194S3NsRzlGM3I1c05VM09QRkZ5Wjk3cmJWaVVGY0NDTC02YXJoVF93N1JQejdKS05veElabjhaN25kZjI2MTVqVDZEblhVRll4NklkNFJZY0lrbTRpeFpJWGlKVGdjelJxYnhiVTM3WS11U3FHcUZ5enRGOVJMR2N2UGpYZzVma2JRVWZ2eC03QVRnWHhmSXlMcFFjUkRTbUxxMUtCLXc?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | Jenna Dewan Addresses ‘DWTS’ Return With Val Chmerkovskiy After His Suspension | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinAFBVV95cUxNQ1JBbE9UTnJJVlNsdVhWdWVXREhKOEI3bHQ1T3pWc1BscGc4cDBJbFJmR25Jc3o1T2pzdlRHOTl3bWJTSW5JRHNuMXNGTFhjT3BZYzJMemtKNFRaSVdRS29qVFJEUnVuSFQ1cy1UU2R5Ty1WWlV1ZUI0b0NyWURFN1BjS29YaUVpbFFfYXBFTC1ZeHBCWk5XOHVBd0g?oc=5) |
| Bergen Record | Is Val back on DWTS tonight? Why was Val suspended? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxPQ1BZT3ppcEE4YmJMR2JEYnNYQjYxeXZDeDl2RWdwb21vRzlxMEZYQ29Vc2ZGWHd5djhqVjlHTzduNk9SOHphYjM1RllpX2kyTnJzdmxXUUl3djM4V3lXUENoc3FOQU1ONzIwOEIyZjdoT1l1MmF5Y3B3NkhPX3ZjMUdvTVZncWtLMjlzNVFqOERZTkw0VGZGdS1Ec24zQXNMa3UxeVBueTlscFlYN0xoUTBQdlU3Zw?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | Val Chmerkovskiy’s ‘DWTS’ Drama Is Making Things ‘Very Uncomfortable’ for Wife Jenna Johnson Backstage | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilwFBVV95cUxOeXB6bVRnbG9mWjFCLTFDLTNjai1vbU5WQVItWDdrdTNLaTVxVlZFMElSc1BpTmZBcUVxUzYwTWFwVkNadWVvSDNyOXNCY3ppZUJBQVFZS2VVME5MUExGQkRFRGFTT3BHMGJjUmZ4ankwU3VOSVlzWE9HbUp6TGc2NnpzNVdZVmJ5dUpOVjJhU2R0TEs3OFhV?oc=5) |
| Page Six | ‘DWTS’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba breaks silence on pro Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqgFBVV95cUxQN1RfaXlVV2NBNS05RmV6Mk9EeVBVYUpzR2VUcjRlNy13VE1RU2NVazBxdG9XdmxyXzJqTl9TOFFNbXVITWNELWVXVzJiTDh3NHc5Z1NZZkh3R1VMdHBJN29NNzlQUnlfMldVaUdQSDRETk5OM2piajUzX2xSSGJ0dl9ZTEN3VGV3WFNOWHh1Z3NDaERINzludkZhNk5vbkhXYkZKUURxcGE2UQ?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | Carrie Ann Inaba Proposes New Lift Rules for 'Dancing With the Stars' to Enhance Safety | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimAFBVV95cUxQb0hmUlo2TmVheFRDSGJyU1BzT01FRVhMN3VRLU1MWDlnZnZmOW81ZU1FWElTNFdUX1FLa0MyZi1MNEVEWFZ6YjRRbURDM1FybV9FODFJMmZPSndpOEVMUlRkNzlTU0I1NHJSZG1kcTc5MjlOQm45WHJYVDRQdXJRMjlmWGhjR2JmdnFBRWI4RTlYTGtaYW80LQ?oc=5) |
| USA Today | 'DWTS' judge Carrie Ann Inaba breaks silence on Val Chmerkovskiy suspension | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi1wFBVV95cUxNVlBDY3ZiZWJzWk1Pd3lJSTFRakxQcGM0YWVZMlZWbDU0aDZwdWxHTF8tUmZsdklhTVE3X1JsVFVaTktUZ2dIVEU1UG5yeVVOZFhiY2lRZWV5VTFyYm5XMnIzelpzWGl0TE9yak9XaGlXUnp0aGJKMmRVVHVxOGRRc1VSclBLMHoyRk12U1ZaS3FYbDVkZDJfalp4SGw3ZV84YnMzd2NFeEFrXzRpdnM0LXhHUHl3bThNUUVDRjU2cXAwRFVINHI3ajd6cTlDcm52OVp5dEllbw?oc=5) |
| Yahoo | DWTS's Carrie Ann Inaba Addressed How She Cleared The Air With 'Deeply Hurt' Jenna Johnson After Liftgate | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimwFBVV95cUxQVm5MWG50ZWFwNEdMdkp4UnkwN0RIN29wN2p6VmhMYXpCbkgwemtDRkJmdl9UdThHcXJ1WjJQc3lyQ205bGZPV3Z6RFpjTnRHR3drYU1oc1luUHZZcEVtWDgzVmRvcG44TXdFODFQVWdBemN6MWE0dk9aVC1hT0hlSUIwbVZCNFRTYmlaS1MtS0NXbXJuRzZVNHdDWQ?oc=5) |
| Entertainment Weekly | Carrie Ann Inaba breaks silence on the controversy and lift drama on ‘DWTS’ | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMimgFBVV95cUxQMHI5U2std0QwSTNISVpaRmd2NDlhYU1UUVNkOFhjYW55MzVoSFZDTVdGN0MtdFRobGxOaTBWZ21IdGEwN1d4akkzTEs5RlZNT0ZmLURwSXVKdGpvTXc2NDh0MmI0cl9RX0RJNXZYb19lVTFSa2trSWFrUFNNNEQyaEM4OTQzNTNuUThwejkySGpSaHptY29Vd2tR?oc=5) |
| TheWrap | 'DWTS' Lift Drama: Judge Carrie Ann Inaba Says She 'Hugged It Out' With Jenna Johnson After Controversial Penalty | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirwFBVV95cUxNQ2NkdENzUTYxR3dSVV9NbE5RRTFjQllMcHlIak5Nc3Bteml5ZGRKYXRpZ3A3M0p4ZmxRczE4ZGtULVVFNGR1Y3g3UVkySzhuaW4wbjljaDc0cGdWUW9vUjVOZTRSUTlMb1V0bnZfQ2xtUG12UFQwVnlDNmZQTWxrYm5Fem9rRDNIVmhPOExaLUZPcXEycGs2c1lxdmdtZG1BN2gwSnBKRHdYa2RrTkp3?oc=5) |
| People.com | Carrie Ann Inaba Breaks Silence on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Lift Drama with Jenna Johnson | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxPSWlhYnVKYnE4Vi1XWGkxWWRIZG1zNS1xaHREZndZLUt1YU1iYXQ2N09KNWNEZTYzS19uWjVaOGJ6S3NuOEdPNXdnZmtyNE84dUZQa2U5bXJVeWJ2aGlNMzBkTkR0dktVRndFSng5amNWVWhJdzlCQ3psWXBRbHppSGpJOXA5Z3hTLXZSUW9MNWxqcUx0VGtxV3MzZEpSVWlISC1iS2xFYjhnMFRC?oc=5) |
| Variety | Carrie Ann Inaba on Val Chmerkovskiy's 'DWTS' Suspension, New Lift Rule | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOeGtoUnByRUYwSWFsdjJIUWZnWkFIQ0VNY2dzZGh5Z0U0aDdrMGgtSDhLYlZfUnAtM3VfbHF3RG1ncHFDRTlWaUs4Y3dpbWZ2S05oWnZEcER3RjJtV2VTRS11SXc5b1RGQzhMcjhhalM1ZkpXWnM2b21adnp5MHNjOHdiTnFkQnJqTkJKU25wMzhfVmZEaDFvM1hOcjVRWVpDcjdJeXNrcDhRZi13?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-10-27/carrie-ann-inaba-on-val-chmerkovskiy-s-dwts-suspension-new-lift-rule*