Johnson pushed back, and Inaba read out the rulebook definition: any movement where one dancer has both feet off the floor with a partner's support.

Johnson's husband, fellow pro Val Chmerkovskiy, then posted a since-deleted TikTok that fans read as a Will Smith slap reference — and was suspended for one week as a result, outlets including Variety and Deadline report.

Inaba, famously dubbed the "lift police" by Page Six, had been silent since the Oct. 20 episode — but instead of doubling down, she revealed a private reconciliation fans never saw.

"Jenna and I hugged it out after the Super Bowl show," she wrote in her Instagram comments, per Page Six and today.com, adding that Johnson "was an absolute professional" and that she later learned Johnson had been "deeply hurt."

The judge also said she offered to speak with Johnson anytime and to discuss how she enforces the lift rule — a striking de-escalation after weeks of tension.

The biggest surprise is Inaba's own proposal: she wants the show to create an entirely new lift rule for next season.

She suggested a session with all the dancers and judges in one room to discuss the history of how Len Goodman, the original producers, and she defined the rule — whose purpose, she says, is "safety and fairness," Deadline and E! News report.

She argued the show, its casting and its audience have all "evolved tremendously," so building better understanding between dancers, judges and viewers matters, and says she has already asked for the change.

The fallout was documented in real time.

Chmerkovskiy wrote "You almost saw Fresh Prince enter the ballroom last night" — widely read as a nod to Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — then deleted it and apologized, saying his instinct to defend his wife led to "a poor decision," according to today.com.

BBC Studios declared that "the well-being of everyone who works on 'Dancing with the Stars' is non-negotiable" and benched him for Dedication Night, where Alan Bersten stepped in to dance with his partner Jenna Dewan.

The controversy touches something deeper than one tense exchange: Inaba has faced criticism for seasons over allegations she picks and chooses whose lifts she calls out, Variety notes.

She told fans she and Johnson are "two powerful women who are professional and also emotional" and promised to always be open to listening, per E! News.

Chmerkovskiy's one-week suspension has been served: Page Six reports it was officially lifted on Oct. 21, with the pro reuniting with Dewan at rehearsals.

He and Jenna Johnson were seen onstage watching a video package about his return, according to Yahoo. The Oct.

27 "Horror Movie Night" episode marks his comeback, with an Argentine tango to "Uninvited" from "28 Weeks Later" — and if Inaba gets her wish, next season brings dancers, judges and producers into one room to rewrite the lift rule together.