Val Chmerkovskiy’s Gracious Response To A Fan Who Criticized His Tattoos

Dancing with the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy graciously responded to a fan on Instagram who appeared to criticize his tattoos, two of which he proudly displayed in a stunning new photo shared with the social media site.

The dance professional responded to a person who appeared to take issue with the fact that Val could be “alienating” his fans who do not like a tattooed body. The commenter then explained that they believe tattoos are a trend that may fall out of vogue. They then wondered why Val would permanently mark his body with something he might regret later.

The fan likened wearing old tattoos to wearing old clothing. They wondered why would someone do either. They did exclude in their comments those body markings that could be sentimental to the dance professional.

Val respectfully spoke up in his own defense. He noted that while he agreed on some points, on others he did not and explained his own point of view in a lengthy statement.

He then likened his current tattoos to the clothing metaphor comment made by the fan with the statement below.

“ALL of them are sentimental. None of them are trend related. They are all sentimental to me. Whether they are something I’ll regret down the road or not, I know this won’t dampen my happiness cause I’ve never placed my joy or worth on my esthetic. And I disagree my body is not my talent. My growing soul, heart, and willingness to learn is my biggest strength and that won’t change with a few tattoos. I love them,” he responded.

Val further explained that he loved trying new trends and buying all the latest fashions when he was younger. Today, he would rather wear timeless classics that he enjoys, which he takes care of so they last a long time. Val said that the age of the particular pieces is what pleases him the most, from the tiny tears to the fading color of the garments. The same goes for his body ink.

The photo that sparked this dialogue was a breathtaking black-and-white headshot of Val.

The dance pro is seen in the image looking away from the camera. His naturally curly hair is tousled and he is wearing a dark, long-sleeved shirt, a thin bracelet and his wedding ring from wife and fellow Dancing with the Stars performer, Jenna Johnson.

Val is leaning on his left arm, where the sleeve is pulled up and two tattoos are visible.

One is a playing card featuring the King of Hearts. The other is the name of someone close to him.

Val also has other significant ink, including one tattoo that says “family over everything.”