Harry Shum Jr. is asking for more kindness around Dancing With the Stars after arguments over his samba with professional partner Jenna Johnson spread beyond the judges’ table.
“Reminder that this is a dance show. It is supposed to be joyous,” he wrote on Instagram on Friday, October 16, encouraging people to celebrate one another.
His carousel included personal messages for fellow celebrity contestants, recognizing their progress, humor and contributions to the ballroom. He also remembered a kindness Jenna Dewan showed him early in his career.
The post arrived three days after Carrie Ann Inaba questioned the samba’s choreography. Johnson’s husband, fellow professional Val Chmerkovskiy, subsequently criticized the judge and apologized for a social media reference to Will Smith’s Oscars slap.
Shum Writes Personal Notes to His ‘DWTS’ Castmates
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Shum began his messages by praising Guillermo Rodriguez, who had been eliminated with partner Witney Carson on Tuesday. He credited Rodriguez with reminding people how much joy dancing can bring.
As Parade reported, he also celebrated Tatyana Ali for representing mothers and embracing her multicultural background. His note to Julia Stiles recognized her return to the dancing associated with Save the Last Dance.
Other messages acknowledged the demands of Jackson Olson’s baseball and dance schedules, Tyler Cameron’s improvement and Ezra Frech’s confidence. Shum praised Maura Higgins and Amber Glenn for their humor and Connor Wood for his perspective.
Dewan’s message reached back to a meeting years before this season. Shum remembered being a young creative trying to find his place in entertainment and said her graciousness had stayed with him.
He saved the final slide for himself, expressing pride in protecting his “light and spark” and encouraging himself to keep being who he is.
Inaba Questioned the Samba Content and Flagged a Lift
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Shum and Johnson performed to Usher’s “Yeah!,” featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris, during the October 13 Super Bowl Night episode. They earned 33 out of 40 points.
Inaba praised the number’s entertainment value but wanted more recognizable samba choreography. She also identified a lift. When Johnson asked for clarification, the judge read a definition involving both feet leaving the floor with a partner’s assistance, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Speaking to Extra afterward, Johnson explained that she had understood the restriction to concern one partner lifting the other. She said she had not expected troupe dancers helping Shum into a backflip to present the same issue. Johnson said she respected the judges, would take the feedback and had spoken with Inaba after the show.
Val Chmerkovskiy Apologizes for His ‘Fresh Prince’ Reference
Chmerkovskiy defended his wife online before posting a “Fresh Prince” reference that viewers connected to Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards.
Inaba shared the post and questioned it publicly. On Thursday, October 15, Chmerkovskiy apologized, describing his reference as careless and saying he should never have made it.
According to PEOPLE, he said he had reached out to Inaba to apologize directly and would be more careful about how he used his platform.
Shum Says He Worked on the Samba’s Specific Technique
Shum had separately responded to criticism of the dance itself. When a viewer dismissed it as another freestyle performance, he listed samba elements he had practiced, including slingshots, promenade runs and whisks.
In the response reported by Cosmopolitan, he explained that some movements were unfamiliar to his body despite his professional dance background. “I do take chances and they don’t always land for everyone,” he wrote.
Pressure around performing was something Shum had discussed before the dispute. In a September 16 interview with Us Weekly, he said constant pressure had contributed to his decision to stop dancing. Getting older and becoming a father had changed his perspective.
Johnson said in that interview that she wanted to balance challenging him with making the experience enjoyable. She emphasized growth, connection and performance alongside the judges’ feedback.