Witney Carson confirmed that she will not return to Dancing With the Stars for season 32.
“This was not a decision that we took lightly,” Carson, 29, shared via TikTok on Sunday, August 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.”
The professional dancer, who won the mirrorball trophy with Alfonso Ribeiro in 2014, and husband Carson McAllister share son Leo, 2, and newborn Jet, 3 months.
“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.”
Carson moved to Florida with McAllister and their toddler earlier this year, prior to giving birth to Jet. She said via Instagram at the time that it was a “hard change” but “it’s what’s right for us right now.”
In Sunday’s announcement, Carson expressed her hope 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, Carson placed third with Wayne Brady, and she announced her pregnancy with Jet during the semifinals.
“I’m so blessed and this just felt like a really, really good time to share it,” she said during the November 2022 episode after she and Brady successfully performed a paso doble.
Carson isn’t the only pro who has opted not to return this year. Her confirmation comes days after Lindsay Arnold made a similar announcement.
“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,” Arnold, 29, said in a Thursday, August 24, TikTok video while showing off her makeup routine. “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.”
Like Carson, Arnold cited distance and children as reasons behind the decision. “I don’t want to separate our family,” Arnold, who also shares two daughters with husband Sam Cusick, added. “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.”
Dancing With the Stars, hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough, returns to ABC and Disney+ this fall. Vanderpump Rules‘ Ariana Madix and season 20 Bachelorette Charity Lawson are the only confirmed stars. The complete lineup will be revealed Thursday, September 13, on Good Morning America.
