DWTS' Val Chmerkovskiy 'sued for $6M by Down Syndrome girl in controversial internet meme he posted to Facebook'
Valentin 'Val' Chmerkovskiy, 29, has been sued by a 16-year-old girl who was the subject of an internet meme he posted to his Facebook page back in January.
According to TMZ, the girl, who suffers from Down Syndrome, claims in the suit that the action of posting the meme on his Facebook page caused severe emotional distress, and accuses him of defamation and invasion of privacy.
In addition to the Dancing with the Stars fixture, CBS News, which also posted the picture, was named in the suit.
The beginning: Valentin 'Val' Chmerkovskiy, 29, has been sued by a 16-year-old girl who was the subject of an internet meme he posted to his Facebook page back in January
DailyMail.com has reached out to Val's spokesperson for comment.
The girl claims that she was at a baseball game back in 2008 when a stranger took a photo of her drinking a soda, which he later posted with the caption: 'Everything that's wrong with America.'
While the picture turned into a meme back in 2014, Val only posted it on his page three weeks ago, with a different caption that read 'Letting your kid become obese should be considered child abuse.'
Though the post has now apparently been removed, it immediately caused a furor, though the professional dancer didn't fold to pressure that he was being insensitive.
TMZ reports the girl's mother contacted the dancer several times via email to request that he take the picture down.
Not what she hoped for: Val did respond to the mother, stating 'I am truly sorry for the lack of sensitivity ... You're handicapping your kid, and they're defenseless. They don't know better. That's why you're there'
Val did respond, stating 'I am truly sorry for the lack of sensitivity ... You're handicapping your kid, and they're defenseless. They don't know better. That's why you're there.'
He also responded publicly with another meme, which proclaimed 'All these flavors and you chose to be salty,' which was no doubt aimed at his critics.
The fleet-footed star went on to encourage others to vent their frustrations via the comment box on his page.
Calm it down with comedy? He also responded publicly with another meme, which proclaimed 'All these flavors and you chose to be salty,' which was no doubt aimed at his critics
However, when more negative comments forced him to address the issue head on, he doubled-down on his position by posting several informational images about the dangers of obesity and heart disease.
Though he never addressed the fact the girl was stricken with Down Syndrome, the situation calmed down until Friday, when the lawsuit was announced.
The embattled dancer immediately released a series of tweets questioning the validity of the suit.
'Just scroll beyond the 'juicy story' and you'll see exactly the type of person I am. And how absurd this story is. At this point I'm starting to think it isn't about her at all. And that's unfortunate. That's the real problem here.'
Not backing down: While Val posted an inspirational quote to his Instagram, loyal fans also jumped to his defense, with many saying that they have confidence in his integrity and empathy
Loyal fans also jumped to his defense, with many saying that they have confidence in his integrity and empathy.
He then posted an inspirational quote to Instagram in black text on a white background with no additional caption.
'Worry about your character and not your reputation. Your character is who you are. Your reputation is who people think you are.'
The girl is seeking $6 million from Val, $600k from the photographer and $6 million from CBS in damages according to TMZ.
A substantial sum: The girl is seeking $6 million from Val, $600k from the photographer and $6 million from CBS in damages
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