Whitney Leavitt’s journey on Dancing With The Stars Season 34 ended not with a bang, but with a quiet, tearful exhale—followed by a pair of sweatpants. On November 19, 2025, during the live results show broadcast from the ABC Television Center in Los Angeles, California, Leavitt and her professional partner Mark Ballas were eliminated, finishing seventh out of twelve original couples. The moment wasn’t shocking to her. In fact, she’d expected it every week.

"I Didn’t Think I’d Make It This Far"

Minutes after the announcer called her name, Leavitt, a 30-year-old cast member of Netflix’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, sat backstage still in her performance costume, swapping sequins for sweatpants. In an exclusive interview with Denny Directo of Entertainment Tonight, she admitted: "I talk to Mark after every dance and I’m like, ‘Tonight might be the night.’" But even as she braced for elimination, she never stopped believing in the experience.

Her final score—42 points total (21 from judges, 21 from viewers)—placed her lowest among the six remaining couples. Yet her emotional arc was far more compelling than any leaderboard. Leavitt entered the competition with deep self-doubt, unsure if a woman from Salt Lake City, known for her reality TV persona rather than dance training, could hold her own on one of TV’s most demanding stages.

"Maybe it’s the little kid in me," she told Directo, voice cracking slightly. "I had all these dreams… but they felt unobtainable. Now they feel within reach."

The Ballas Effect: A Champion’s Return

Mark Ballas, 38, isn’t just any pro dancer. He won Dancing With The Stars Season 9 in 2009 with Donny Osmond. After retiring in 2019, he returned for Season 34—his first comeback since stepping away. His presence alone signaled gravity. But his partnership with Leavitt wasn’t about trophies; it was about transformation.

"He didn’t treat me like a reality star," Leavitt said. "He treated me like someone who could actually do this."

That belief showed in their routines. From their shaky 21/30 cha-cha debut on September 24, 2025, to their haunting contemporary number on Halloween night, Leavitt’s improvement was visible. Their Disney Night performance on November 12, 2025, earned them their highest judges’ score of 26—a moment she still calls "the first time I felt like I belonged on that stage."

Home Support: A Husband in Costume

Behind every dancer is a support system—and for Leavitt, that was her husband, Conor Leavitt. He didn’t just watch. He showed up.

Each Monday night, Conor appeared in the audience dressed to match the week’s theme: a cowboy hat for Western Night, a velvet tuxedo for Hollywood Night, even a glowing Star Wars lightsaber prop for the Star Wars-themed episode. "He never missed one," Leavitt said. "I’d see him in the crowd, and suddenly I wasn’t scared anymore."

That kind of emotional anchoring is rare on reality TV, where partners often fade into the background. But Conor’s presence became part of Leavitt’s story—a quiet, joyful rebellion against the idea that reality stars are just spectacle.

From Salt Lake City to the Mirrorball

Leavitt’s participation in Dancing With The Stars carried cultural weight. As one of eight women on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a show that explores the complex social hierarchies of Mormon women in Utah, her appearance on a mainstream network was seen by many as a bridge between niche communities and broader audiences.

She revealed that one of her fellow cast members sent her a handwritten note after the Halloween episode: "You’re showing them we’re more than what they think we are."

"That meant more than any score," she said. "I didn’t just dance for me. I danced for them."

What’s Next? The Show Goes On

With Leavitt and Ballas out, Season 34 now continues with five couples still competing for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. The next results show airs November 26, 2025, on ABC and Disney+. The season, which premiered on September 17, 2025, has seen a surge in streaming viewership—up 23% from Season 33—thanks in part to Leavitt’s authenticity.

While no immediate projects were announced, Leavitt confirmed her focus is shifting back to The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Season 2, set to premiere on Netflix on March 15, 2026. "This experience changed how I show up," she said. "I’m not just playing a role anymore. I’m bringing my whole self."

Ballas, ever the professional, offered no words during the interview—just a nod, a smile, and a hand on her shoulder. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than any trophy.