Dylan Efron defends ‘DWTS’ judge Carrie Ann Inaba amid Val Chmerkovskiy drama

TV exclusive See more of our coverage in your search results. Carrie Ann Inaba’s judging on “Dancing With the Stars” gets a 10 from Dylan Efron. Efron defended Inaba over her awkward clash with pro Jenna Johnson that led to Val Chmerkovskiy’s suspension in an interview with Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea.” “Look, I think Carrie Ann was doing her job,” Efron — who came in fourth place with pro partner Daniella Karagach in “DWTS” Season 34 — told us while promoting his partnership with Oroweat. “If they were all just saying how amazing everyone does each week, we would hate them for it. They’re up there to judge.” Dylan Efron spoke exclusively to Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea” about “Dancing With the Stars” Season 35 while promoting his partnership with Orowheat. Page Six Efron defended Carrie Ann Inaba following her on-air clash with pro Jenna Johnson. (Pictured above: Inaba during “Mariah Carey Night” on “DWTS” Season 35.) Disney Efron, 34, pointed to the tougher judging style of personalities like Simon Cowell, who, as “The Traitors” alum noted, was infamous for being “an ass to people” during his time on “American Idol.” He also explained that each “DWTS” judge has their own “niche.” According to Efron, Bruno Tonioli “loves a performance” and Derek Hough is “all about the technique,” while Inaba’s “bread and butter is the emotion that she’s feeling during a dance.” Efron, who competed in “DWTS” Season 34, said Inaba was just “doing her job” when she called out Johnson for incorporating a lift in her and Harry Shum Jr.’s samba. (Pictured above: Efron and pro Daniella Karagach in the “DWTS” Season 34 finale.) Disney via Getty Images Efron also explained that each “Dancing With the Stars” judge has their own “niche.” (Pictured above: Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli during “Mariah Carey Night” on “DWTS” Season 34.) Disney “I think when you talk about emotion, she either will hit it right on the head, and she’s voicing something that we all felt that is like, ‘Oh, my gosh, she just put that into words,’ and then sometimes it misses,” he said. “But I think when you’re critiquing emotion, it’s hard. It’s brave of her to do that.” During the Oct. 13 taping of “Dancing With the Stars,” Inaba called out Johnson for including an “illegal” lift in her and her partner Harry Shum Jr.’s samba. However, Johnson (pictured above on “Super Bowl Night” in “DWTS” Season 35) reportedly “broke down” backstage over Inaba’s harsh criticism of her choreography. Disney Johnson’s husband, Val Chmerkovskiy, was placed on a one-week ban from the ballroom after he referenced Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap in a since-deleted social media post following the tense exchange. (Pictured above: Chmerkovskiy at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show in May.) Getty Images for Sports Illustrated Johnson reportedly “broke down” backstage following her tense exchange with Inaba. The next day, Johnson’s husband, fellow pro Val Chmerkovskiy, shared a since-deleted social media post referencing Will Smith’s infamous Oscars slap. “You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night,” he wrote on TikTok following the episode. Although Chmerkovskiy apologized for his controversial post, he was still placed on a one-week ban from the ballroom, leaving his partner, actress Jenna Dewan, to dance with pro Alan Bersten on “Dedication Night” last week. Chmerkovskiy (pictured above with partner Jenna Dewan on “DWTS”) returned to the ballroom on Tuesday for “Horror Movie Night.” Disney The pro dancer (pictured above leaving Craig’s in West Hollywood on Tuesday) was spotted hugging it out with Inaba in the ballroom. STAR INFLUX LA / BACKGRID Stay one step ahead with all the exclusive tea on your favorite reality TV stars! Sign up for Virtual Reali-Tea with Danny and Evan, our must-read newsletter! Thank for signing up! Chmerkovskiy returned to the ballroom on Tuesday for “Horror Movie Night,” where he apologized to Dewan for “all the chaos” surrounding his suspension. He and Inaba were also spotted hugging it out during a commercial break. As for Johnson, Inaba wrote in an Instagram comment that they made amends following “Super Bowl Night,” as well as proposed a new lift rule for future seasons of the show. Inaba (pictured above during “Horror Movie Night” on “DWTS”) said she also made amends with Johnson following “Super Bowl Night.” Disney via Getty Images Johnson and Shum Jr. (pictured above during “Horror Movie Night” on “DWTS”) earned the first perfect score of the season on Tuesday. Disney Johnson and Shum Jr. earned the first perfect score of the season on Tuesday night for their contemporary dance to “Toxic” by 2Wei. “Dancing With the Stars” airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. 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