Tatyana Ali Appears to Address Val’s ‘Fresh Prince’ Remark
WHO:
US Magazine - Carrie Ann Inaba, 58, is a *Dancing with the Stars* judge.
US Magazine - Tatyana Ali, 47, is a contestant on season 35 of *Dancing with the Stars* (DWTS).
US Magazine - Val Chmerkovskiy is a DWTS professional dancer.
TMZ - Tatyana Ali is competing on DWTS this season; Val Chmerkovskiy is associated with the show.
US Magazine - James Avery was Ali’s late *Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* costar.
WHAT:
US Magazine - Inaba wrote, “Looking forward to a heartfelt night of dedications,” and added, “Always and forever,” in an Instagram caption accompanying a black-and-white photo of the *Dancing with the Stars* ballroom floor.
US Magazine - Ali posted a TikTok video explaining why she chose to honor James Avery on DWTS’ Dedication Night.
US Magazine - The video appeared to be a subtle response to Chmerkovskiy referencing *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* in a controversial comment.
TMZ - Ali appeared to quietly signal her position on Chmerkovskiy’s controversial *Fresh Prince* reference.
TMZ - The reference led to Chmerkovskiy being suspended from *Dancing with the Stars*.
WHERE:
US Magazine - Ali shared the video on TikTok.
US Magazine - The reference concerned *The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air*.
WHEN:
US Magazine - Ali shared the TikTok video on Tuesday, October 20.
WHY:
AllHipHop - Val Chmerkovskiy’s “Fresh Prince” post drew backlash over its link to Will Smith’s Oscars slap.
US Magazine - Ali said her DWTS Dedication Night choice was to honor her late costar James Avery.
HOW:
US Magazine - Ali addressed the subject through a TikTok video explaining her choice to honor Avery.
TMZ - Ali’s response was characterized as quiet or indirect.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 07:17 UTC)
Val Chmerkovskiy faced backlash over a “Fresh Prince” post linking to Will Smith’s Oscars slap. The post drew criticism for invoking the incident. The backlash centered on the connection between the reference and the slap.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 04:12 UTC)
Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba shared a black-and-white photo of the ballroom floor on Instagram. She wrote, “Looking forward to a heartfelt night of dedications,” and added, “Always and forever.” Ali shared a TikTok video on Tuesday.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 02:20 UTC)
Tatyana Ali posted a TikTok explaining why she chose to honor her late *Fresh Prince of Bel-Air* costar James Avery on *Dancing with the Stars* Dedication Night. The video appeared to quietly signal her position on professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy’s controversial reference to the show. That reference led to Chmerkovskiy’s suspension from *Dancing with the Stars*.