Val Chmerkovskiy is back on the dance floor.
The "Dancing with the Stars" pro, who was recently suspended from the show following his controversial social media comments about judge Carrie Ann Inaba, appeared in a new behind-the-scenes video with partner Jenna Dewan ahead of his return to the reality competition series.
"Hi, everybody. Here we are," Dewan, 45, said in a clip posted to the series' Instagram stories Sunday, Oct. 25. "We are here for 'Halloween Horror Movie Night.' We are doing an Argentine tango to the song 'Uninvited,' inspired by the movie '28 Weeks Later.'"
Chmerkovskiy seemed in good spirits, throwing in a playful quip about his complexion at the end of the video. "Why am I so oily?" he said while rubbing his forehead.
Why Val Chmerkovskiy suspended from 'Dancing with the Stars'
The Ukrainian
American choreographer was abruptly pulled from the show earlier this month after a tense online exchange with Inaba following the Oct. 13 "Super Bowl Night" episode, which featured Chmerkovskiy's wife, fellow "DWTS" pro Jenna Johnson. During the episode, Inaba criticized Johnson for an alleged illegal lift in her samba with actor Harry Shum Jr.
Chmerkovskiy, 40, took to TikTok to share his frustration with Inaba's evaluation, writing in a since-deleted post: "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night," a reference to Will Smith's infamous slap incident with Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Inaba subsequently addressed the jab on Instagram, writing, "So, this is what we are doing now?"
Days later, BBC Studios announced that Chmerkovskiy was suspended from the Oct. 20 "Dedication Night" episode due to his comments. The production company said the dancer's post was "inappropriate and does not reflect the values or standards expected of anyone connected with the show."
Is Val still on 'Dancing with the Stars'?
Yes, Chmerkovskiy is still a cast member on Season 35 of "Dancing with the Stars."
He is scheduled to return for the show's "Horror Movie Night" episode on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
'Dancing with the Stars' pro Val Chmerkovskiy apologizes for Carrie Ann Inaba comments
Chmerkovskiy addressed his remarks about Inaba in an Oct. 15 Instagram story, revealing that he reached out to the "DWTS" judge to apologize for his post.
"I also want to apologize publicly as I understand my words affect so many outside of our internal DWTS family," Chmerkovskiy wrote. "I should have never made the reference that I did, and I deeply regret it."
The dancer added that he recognizes "that I am in a fortunate position to have a platform and to be a role model to some."
"I need to treat that with more care by actively pausing to think before I post to ensure what I am sharing aligns with who I am and who I want to be for you all," Chmerkovskiy wrote.
Contributing: Anthony Robledo, Melina Khan and Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'DWTS' pro Val Chmerkovskiy appears in new video after suspension
