Carrie Ann Inaba has been a fixture on American television for more than three decades, first as a dancer and choreographer and later as one of the most recognisable judges in reality competition history. From her early days as a pop singer in Japan to her longtime seat on the judging panel of ABC's flagship dance show, her career has spanned music, film, choreography and daytime talk. Below is a complete look at her age, background, family, relationships, net worth and the questions fans search for most.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Carrie Ann Machiko Inaba |
| Date of Birth | January 5, 1968 |
| Age (2026) | 58 years old |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
| Birthplace | Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Television judge, dancer, choreographer, actress, singer, talk show host |
| Years Active | 1986 to present |
| Height | 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) |
| Father | Rodney Y. Inaba (died March 2013) |
| Mother | Patty Inaba |
| Marital Status | Never married |
| Former Fiancés | Jesse Sloan, Robb Derringer |
| Children | None |
| Known For | Judge on Dancing with the Stars since 2005 |
| Estimated Net Worth | $9 million |
Carrie Ann Inaba is an American television personality, dancer, choreographer, actress and singer who is best known for her work on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, where she has served as a judge since the very first season in 2005. She has continued in that role through the show's most recent seasons alongside Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Before television judging made her a household name, she built a reputation as a working dancer and choreographer, and she remains one of the most visible Asian American figures in mainstream entertainment.
Carrie Ann Inaba is 58 years old, born on January 5, 1968. Her age and career timeline place her among the longest serving personalities in American reality television.
Born in early January, her zodiac sign is Capricorn, a sign commonly associated with discipline, ambition and a strong work ethic, traits that fans often connect to her decades of consistency on screen and her famously precise judging standards.
Carrie Ann was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, in a household that encouraged the arts from an early age. As a child she explored jazz, ballet and the Hawaiian dance form of hula, competed in gymnastics, played both piano and violin, and sang in her school choir.
At the age of 18 she was scouted to launch a recording career in Japan, where she released three singles and reached the Billboard Top 100 with her debut release. Music opened the door, but dance ultimately pulled her back to the United States, where she went on to study choreography in California after attending Punahou School in Honolulu.
Carrie Ann Inaba's parents are Rodney Y. Inaba and Patty Inaba.
Father: Rodney Y. Inaba passed away in March 2013, just days before a season premiere of her show. Carrie Ann has frequently described him as a dreamer, an entrepreneur and a devoted animal lover who taught her to think outside conventional boundaries. His life and passing were a subject she spoke about publicly with unusual candour, including a difficult earlier episode in which he was shot in a bar.
Mother: Patty Inaba raised her in Honolulu and remains a central presence in her life. Carrie Ann has shared several emotional tributes to her mother on television and social media, and the closeness between them is something fans have followed for years. Additional biographical detail on her family is catalogued on her IMDb profile.
One of the most searched questions about her is whether she has a husband. The answer is no. Carrie Ann Inaba has never been married, though her dating and relationship history includes two engagements that did not lead to the altar.
| Partner | Relationship | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Artem Chigvintsev | Dated 2006 to 2008 | Ended |
| Jesse Sloan | Engaged in 2011 | Split in 2012 |
| Robb Derringer | Engaged December 2016 | Engagement called off September 2017 |
Jesse Sloan was an accountant who proposed in 2011. The couple separated the following year.
Robb Derringer, an actor, proposed in December 2016 in a moment she announced publicly with excitement. News outlets covered the engagement to Robb Derringer widely at the time, but the pair called things off in September 2017.
Carrie Ann Inaba does not have any children. She has, however, been notably open about motherhood and her thinking around it. In interviews she has discussed wanting to adopt a child and has spoken about how her views on family evolved over time. Her reflections on motherhood and adoption have been covered repeatedly in entertainment media, and she has revisited the topic in later interviews as well.
She is also a devoted animal lover, and her rescue cats have become a recognisable part of her public identity.
In Living Color (1990 to 1992): Carrie Ann was one of the original Fly Girls, the multiethnic dance troupe that performed between comedy sketches. She was the only Asian female dancer in the group and helped bring hip hop choreography to mainstream American television.
Film: She appeared in the Austin Powers franchise, playing Fook Yu in Austin Powers in Goldmember and a dancer role in the earlier sequel.
Choreography: Her choreography credits include American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and the Miss America pageant, among other productions.
Dancing with the Stars (2005 to present): She has judged the ABC competition since its debut season and returned for its most recent run alongside Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
Dance War: Bruno vs. Carrie Ann (2008): A short lived ABC competition series that paired her against fellow judge Bruno Tonioli and debuted to roughly 17 million viewers.
The Talk (2019 to 2021): She joined the CBS daytime panel as a permanent moderator in January 2019, announced a leave of absence in April 2021, and confirmed her departure in August of that year.
Game Shows: She also served as host of Game Show Network's 1 vs. 100.
Carrie Ann Inaba has an estimated net worth of $9 million, a figure reflected in published celebrity net worth estimates. Her wealth has been built steadily across several income streams rather than a single windfall.
| Income Source | Contribution |
|---|---|
| Dancing with the Stars | Primary and longest running income stream since 2005 |
| The Talk | Daytime television salary from 2019 to 2021 |
| Choreography | Work on American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance and pageants |
| Acting and Dancing | In Living Color, Austin Powers films |
| Production Company | EnterMediArts Inc., her own video production business |
| Endorsements and Hosting | Brand partnerships, game show hosting, appearances |
Her earnings have been analysed in several entertainment finance breakdowns, including salary comparisons and rankings that place her among the show's highest earning judges and hosts. Broader comparisons of the judging panel's net worths offer useful context for where she sits among her colleagues.
Carrie Ann has been candid about living with several chronic conditions, including Sjögren's syndrome, spinal stenosis and other autoimmune issues. She has also spoken about significant vision impairment. Rather than keeping these private, she has turned them into a platform, publishing wellness content and advocating for people managing autoimmune disease.
Her philanthropic work includes a seat on the board of directors of CAPE, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, which she joined in 2011. She was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame in 2015 for her trailblazing work as an AAPI figure in entertainment, and she has served as national spokesperson for Dréa's Dream, a programme funding dance therapy for paediatric cancer patients. Animal welfare is another cause close to her, and she supports rescue organisations and humane societies.
Search results frequently confuse two different women with similar first names, so this is worth stating plainly.
Carrie Ann Edwards is the younger sister of country music superstar Shania Twain. She is not related to Carrie Ann Inaba in any way. Shania Twain's siblings include Jill, an older sister, Carrie Ann, a younger sister, and two younger half brothers named Mark and Darryl. More background on Shania Twain's family and on Shania Twain herself is available for readers following that thread.
Carrie Ann Inaba, by contrast, was born in Honolulu to Rodney and Patty Inaba and has no connection to the Twain family.
Carrie Ann Inaba is 58 years old. She was born on January 5, 1968, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Her zodiac sign is Capricorn, based on her January 5 birthday.
No. Carrie Ann Inaba has never been married. She has been engaged twice, to Jesse Sloan and to Robb Derringer, but neither engagement resulted in a wedding.
She does not have a husband. Her most recent publicly confirmed engagement, to actor Robb Derringer, ended in September 2017.
No, she does not have children. She has spoken openly in interviews about considering adoption and about her evolving feelings toward motherhood.
Her net worth is estimated at around $9 million, earned primarily through Dancing with the Stars, her time on The Talk, choreography work, acting and her production company EnterMediArts Inc.
Her father was Rodney Y. Inaba, who died in March 2013, and her mother is Patty Inaba, who raised her in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Yes. She has judged the show since its first season in 2005 and returned for the most recent season alongside Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli.
She joined The Talk in January 2019, announced a leave of absence in April 2021, and it was confirmed in August 2021 that she would not return for the following season.
She is Japanese American and was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was one of the first Asian American women to perform contemporary dance on national American television as a Fly Girl on In Living Color.
No. Shania Twain's younger sister is named Carrie Ann Edwards, a completely different person. The two share a first name only.
She has publicly discussed living with Sjögren's syndrome, spinal stenosis, other autoimmune conditions, and significant vision impairment, and she advocates for others managing chronic illness.
She stands 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is approximately 168 centimetres.
Wickey Thom specializes in celebrity news and entertainment content, covering the latest updates on actors, musicians, television personalities, influencers, and public figures. With a focus on accuracy and timely reporting, Wickey creates engaging articles featuring celebrity biographies, career milestones, trending stories, and entertainment industry developments. His content is carefully researched using reliable public sources to ensure readers receive informative, up-to-date, and easy-to-read coverage.
