DWTS’ Val Chmerkovskiy removed cornrows so as not to ‘distract’ from partner amid backlash
He shared that he felt there wasn't an issue with him getting them in the first place
Val Chmerkovskiy has spoken out about his decision to remove his cornrows ahead of Mariah Carey Night on Dancing With The Stars amid backlash.
Val was accused of cultural appropriation by some viewers, who didn’t see the relevance behind him getting cornrows for the themed episode. Val shared a video of his hair getting braided over the weekend, with the caption: “POV: It’s Mariah Carey night on DWTS.”
@valentinchmerkovskiy me and Mariah go back like babies and pacifiers
And people were quick to offer their opinions in the comment section, sharing: “And what about Mariah requires cornrows answer quickly,” with another adding: “Val you know damn well this didn’t need to happen.”
However, come the most recent Dancing With The Stars episode and Val Chmerkovskiy appeared on-screen without the cornrows, which he ended up getting removed before the episode.
Ho spoke out about his decision to remove the braids in response to a comment left under his video which read: “As a black girl I found no issue with the hair. I was obsessed with the cornrows Val!! Wish you kept them.”
Val responded: “There isn’t. I loved the way they looked and as soon as the season is over you @sistahsbeauty is hooking your boy up. But today is about my partner and I didn’t want to distract from her moment and her dance. Whether in a positive light or negative the light should be on her tn. Regardless I appreciate the love. Always moving with love.”
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