Lindsay Arnold and Witney Carson confirm they will not compete in Dancing with the Stars 32
Dancing with the Stars season 32 is right around the corner, The list of pro dancers competing on the show hasn’t been released yet. But we DO know now that Lindsay Arnold and Witney Carson are taking a break. Both dancers confirmed the news on social media.
“This season is not gonna work out for me and my family,” says Lindsay
“Last season when I kind of announced that I wasn’t doing [the show], it wasn’t like I retired or like I said, ‘I’m done forever. I’ll never ever consider doing the show again,’ because I will,” Lindsay said in a TikTok posted on Thursday (Aug 24). “I’ve really been considering the option and seeing if it’s something we can fit into our life … and ultimately this season is not gonna work out for me and my family.”
Currently, Lindsay lives in Utah with her husband Sam Cusick and the two daughters and the show films in Los Angeles. “Logistics of separating our family for periods of time just didn’t feel right, especially with Sage being so young.”
“I don’t want to separate our family,” Lindsay said, “I don’t want to put my kids through that right now. I feel like this time of their life is so precious and is moving so fast and I want to cherish every single moment. I don’t want to miss a beat.”
The So You Think You Can Dance alum is “so grateful” for her 11-year run on DWTS and teased that she is “not done forever” as a pro on the show. She added that she might have “some fun connections” to season 32. Fans are speculating that her younger sister Rylee Arnold, previously a DWTS Juniors dancer, will become a part of the troupe.
Witney lives in Florida with her husband and family
Witney also cites family concerns regarding the decision not to compete this season. “This was not a decision that we took lightly,” Witney shared on TikTok on Sunday (Aug 27). “We definitely thought and prayed about it for a while, but we will not be doing Dancing With the Stars this season. As much as that pains me to say, I just felt very at peace with it.”
“You guys know that family is the most important thing to me, and we just really felt that moving our entire family across the country right now was not for us,” Carson explained. “Leo’s at an age where he needs consistency and dependability, and he hasn’t had that ever since he’s been born. We’re just really trying to give him that right now.”
Witney moved to Florida with with husband Carson McAllister and their son Leo (2) earlier this year. The SYTYCD alum has since given birth to another son Jet (3 mos).
Both dancers hope to return to the show
Like Lindsay, Witney hopes to eventually return to DWTS. “I love dance that is my passion, so this was definitely a hard decision,” she said. “But I will be rooting for everybody on the show, I cannot wait to watch. I’m so excited. I definitely think this is just a break. I hope it’s not goodbye. But for now, we will be there No. 1 cheerleader watching. Love you guys.”
Last season, Witney placed third with Wayne Brady and announced her pregnancy with Jet during the semifinals. She won the mirrorball trophy with now-host Alfonso Ribeiro in 2014. Lindsay won the trophy with Jordan Fisher for season 25 in 2017.
