The Week in Gossip: A DWTS Suspension, Taylor’s Cinderella Moment and the Runway Rivalry Our Readers Are Still Scoring

Pour something sparkling, darling. This week had a ballroom scandal, a ballgown, a comeback and a dress so big it needed its own security detail. Every item below is sourced to a published report, with no “a friend of a friend says.” And yes, we saved our own runway drama for last.

The ballroom got slapped

Dancing With the Stars pro Val Chmerkovskiy got a one-week suspension from the show. Page Six calls it an “inappropriate” slap joke involving judge Carrie Ann Inaba, and Just Jared describes it as an apparent reference to the Will Smith Oscars slap. Just Jared reports Val has since spoken out. And because the show must go on, Jenna Dewan’s new partner has been revealed. Page Six and Just Jared both have the name, so go see who caught the spray tan.

Bonus ballroom chatter: Page Six reports Jimmy Kimmel weighed in on Guillermo Rodriguez’s DWTS appearance and said whether he’d ever join the show himself.

Taylor, in Dior, at the museum

Taylor Swift had what Page Six calls a “Cinderella moment” in a blue Dior ballgown on the Academy Museum Gala 2026 red carpet in LA. Just Jared published the full celebrity guest list for anyone who wants to play spot-the-ex.

Miley, back where she belongs

Miley Cyrus played her first full concert in four years with a Hollywood Bowl comeback show, per Just Jared, set list included. People reports she got emotional honoring Dolly Parton from the stage. Bring tissues and your fringe.

The dress that came with a body count (of one poke)

At the Klara and the Sun red carpet, Florence Pugh accidentally poked Jenna Ortega in the face with her voluminous dress, People reports. Just Jared covered Ortega’s vintage Pierre Cardin and Roberto Cavalli looks at the Rome Film Festival for the same film. Couture: beautiful, and apparently weaponized.

Models in the headlines

Just Jared reports Victoria’s Secret responded after Romee Strijd revealed she was rejected from its fashion show, and confirmed she wasn’t selected. Meanwhile, Page Six spotted Gisele Bündchen on crutches after a foot injury the outlet called “mysterious.” Heal fast, queen.

Hollywood’s group chat

• Jenny McCarthy claims Tom Cruise tried to “lure” her and her ex, Jim Carrey, into Scientology (Page Six).
• Jason Priestley explained why he begged Aaron Spelling to end Beverly Hills, 90210 before he left the show (Page Six).
• Harry Styles honored Liam Payne with an unreleased song on the second anniversary of his death (Just Jared).
• Selma Blair‘s rep says she “did not intend to harm anyone” after her arrest on a flight, per People.
• Sean “Diddy” Combs was transferred to a new prison, People reports.

And now, our runway rivalry

While Hollywood was arguing about slap jokes, our own pit was arguing about walks. In Nightlife Report’s “Ava Kortman vs Emily: The Colosseum of Day 1,” we broke down two models from the Bureau’s LA Fashion Week Opening in five rounds. The Opening was the 6 p.m. Friday show at The Lot Studios in West Hollywood.

On the red side is up-and-comer Emily Sophie Christine (@emilysophiechristine). She walked for Sewreffic in a black top and a gold-and-navy dot-print maxi skirt, with an amber-and-gold flame visual on the LED wall behind her. We have four frames of her in our Sewreffic set, and she’s the lead image in our Day 1 coverage. On the blue side is Ava, our model of the night, who walked for Krown Kink.

The score so far: Ava leads 1–0 on Presence, the Camera round is even, and three rounds are still open. The Bureau announced no winners, and our calls are editorial opinion. The deciding vote is yours, round by round, in the comments or on our Instagram. In our book, that’s how an up-and-comer gets made: one frame at a time, judged on craft and nothing else.

Your takeaway

This week’s lesson: the red carpet is a contact sport, the ballroom has a code of conduct, and the runway still belongs to whoever owns the camera. See you next week. We’ll be the ones in the front row, taking notes.

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