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Key Points
Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt posted a tearful video breaking down her reaction to being eliminated from Dancing With the Stars on the season 34 semifinals.
"It genuinely feels like a breakup. It feels like I'm going through withdrawals right now," she said.
Despite earning high marks from the judges and scoring better than some of her competitors, Leavitt expressed no regrets or resentments, saying she's most grateful for "getting a lifelong friend" in pro partner Mark Ballas.
Veteran after veteran ofDancing With the Starshas testified to the competition taking over their lives, making elimination even more painful.
Tuesday's season 34 semifinals saw the shocking elimination ofSecret Lives of Mormon WivesstarWhitney Leavitt. Despite earning high marks from the judges and outscoring several of her competitors, Leavitt and her pro partner Mark Ballas were sent packing ahead of the season's grand finale.
Two days out from the ordeal, Leavitt finally broke her silence on the impact the elimination has had on her.
"I'm just gonna speak from the heart, and share what I'm feeling. I share the good, I share the bad, I share the ugly. So I'm just gonna keep doing that," the reality star began in a tearful video posted toher Instagram.
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"When you're casted onDancing with the Stars, you are seeing these people hours every single day. Then it just stops. It genuinely feels like a breakup," she continued. "It feels like I'm going through withdrawals right now. Today just felt so weird. It felt so weird not going into the studio and meeting with Mark and learning a dance."
"It made me sad," Leavitt continued. "You grow real friendships and, like, real connections with these people, and you learn so much about yourself and people uplift you constantly, and you challenge yourself, you just feel so loved."
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Though she walked away without the coveted Mirrorball Trophy, Leavitt didn't leave empty-handed. The reality star and formerMomTok-er cited a few "takeaways" that she carries with her back to civilian life.
"It's so important to surround yourself with people who believe in you, who want to see you achieve your delusional dreams, as cheesy as that sounds."
At this point, Leavitt grew even more emotional, noting, "f---, this is gonna be the hardest part," and pouring out a tribute to Ballas.
"Mark is that friend to me," she said. "The one thing that I have loved the most, that I wasn't expecting, was getting a lifelong friend — a friend who makes fart noises every single day, I'm just so grateful. I love you guys. And I f------ love this show."
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Leavitt was supported in the comments section by several of herMormon Wivescostars, including Mayci Neeley, who wrote, "Love you and so proud of you." Mikayla Matthews, who has appeared on the series alongside Leavitt since season 1, commented a simple "🖤."
Others in Leavitt'sDWTScohort shared similarly strong reactions to their departures, including Fifth Harmony star Lauren Jauregui, who told cohost Julianne Hough she was"pissed" after going homeon week 3. Danielle Fishel, whose week 8 elimination also shocked fans, commented supportively on Leavitt's post, empathizing, "This is just the beginning!! I know the sadness is soooo real — I've been there — and it means we loved HARD!!"
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Comedian and late-night legend Andy Richter, who was eliminated the week before Leavitt,rushed to her defensein a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly.
"I think Whitney going home, to me it's absolutely insane. I mean, she's an amazing dancer. And if all the sticklers who were furious about me still being in it, who were demanding perfect technical dancing, I don't know why she would get sent home under that criterion," Richter said, suggesting that the "soap opera going on adjacent to this show" and having more to do with her "villain" status onMormon Wivesmay have had more to do with her elimination than her actual dancing ability.
Dancing With the Starsairs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, and streams the next day on Hulu.
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