Whitney Leavitt
Whitney Leavitt | |
|---|---|
| Born | Whitney Marie Ellis May 12, 1993 American Fork, Utah, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University (BFA) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Spouse |
Conner Leavitt (m. 2016) |
| Children | 3 |
| Instagram information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | 1.6 million |
| TikTok information | |
| Page | |
| Followers | 3.4 million |
| Last updated: March 17, 2026 | |
Whitney Marie Leavitt (née Ellis; born May 12, 1993) is an American media personality and actress. She gained prominence through her appearances on the Hulu reality television series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives (2024–present) and the ABC competition series Dancing with the Stars.
Leavitt made her Broadway debut playing Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago (2026). Her run grossed over $8 million, and earned the highest weekly box office sales in the show's 29-year history.
Early life
Whitney Marie Ellis was born on May 12, 1993, in American Fork, Utah.[1] She was raised Mormon with four biological siblings;[1] her parents, Barry and Stephanie Ellis, additionally fostered at least a half-dozen other children.[2] Throughout grade school, she was a competitive dancer and trained at the rival studio of professional dancer Witney Carson.[3]
In 2018, Ellis graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor's degree in fine arts with an emphasis on dance.[2] She then backpacked across Europe for two months and lived in Uganda for four months.[2]
Career
Leavitt began creating content on the social media platform TikTok in March 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She quickly joined a community of Utah-based influencers known as "MomTok".[4] In December 2021, Leavitt received significant backlash after she filmed herself dancing while her newborn son was hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumonia.[5]
In 2024, Leavitt appeared as a main cast member of the Hulu reality television series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.[6] She adopted a villainous persona throughout the series,[7] which established her as a breakout star according to Vulture.[2] On June 30, 2025, during the show's second reunion special, host Nick Viall revealed that Leavitt was cast in the thirty-fourth season of the ABC reality competition series Dancing with the Stars.[8] She was paired with professional dancer Mark Ballas,[9] and was the subject of intense criticism from audience viewers on social media.[10] Despite receiving the highest cumulative points in the season at the time, Leavitt and Ballas were eliminated during the semifinals on November 18, 2025, finishing in sixth place.[11]
Following their elimination, Leavitt and Ballas discussed their experience on Dancing with the Stars with Alex Cooper on her podcast Call Her Daddy, through the cooperation of ABC.[12] They also performed their jazz-based freestyle routine to Frank Sinatra's "My Way", which received widespread acclaim.[13] Shortly after the episode was aired, Leavitt announced that she would be making her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre during a six-week run in 2026.[14] Her run later received a two-week extension due to overwhelming demand.[15] Between March 8 and March 15, 2026, Leavitt's performance raked in $1,457,930.77, the highest weekly box office sales in the show's 29-year history.[16]
Leavitt will make her film acting debut alongside Jesse Kove in the holiday romantic comedy film All For Love, which she will also executive produce.[17]
Personal life
While serving a mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Georgia, Ellis became close to the family of technical analyst Conner Leavitt.[2] She officially met him in 2015 when they attended a double date as wingmen for their friends, who later bailed on their plans.[18] They married on August 19, 2016, at the Provo Utah Rock Canyon Temple.[18] They have three children together and reside in St. George, Utah.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | An Uncharted Desire | Noori | Abhishek Patel | Short film |
| 2024 | What to Expect When You're Not Expecting | London | Jackson Tropp | |
| 2026 | All For Love † | Winona | Jake Helgren | Feature film debut |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–present | The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives | Herself | Main role | |
| 2025 | Dancing with the Stars | Season 34 semi-finalist |
Theater
| Year | Production | Role(s) | Venue | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Chicago | Roxie Hart | Ambassador Theatre |
References
- ^ a b Singleton, Sheridan (September 5, 2024). "Meet The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star Whitney Leavitt's Parents". Distractify. Retrieved November 15, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b c d e f Harris, Hunter (May 5, 2025). "The Many Lives of Whitney Leavitt". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 6, 2025. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Miller, Brittany (November 18, 2025). "Real reason for Whitney Leavitt's return to SLOMW revealed". The Independent. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Allie (September 26, 2024). "Whitney Leavitt Wasn't Trying to Be a Reality-TV Villain". The Cut. Archived from the original on October 9, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ Andaloro, Angela (September 11, 2024). "Whitney Leavitt Defends TikToking While Her Son Was Hospitalized with RSV, but Demi Engemann Shares a Different Story". People. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ White, Peter (November 25, 2025). "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Renewed At Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Adekaiyero, Ayomikun (September 10, 2024). "Whitney Leavitt has emerged as the villain of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives season one. She said the show was 'not how I remember it.'". Business Insider. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Fell, Nicole (June 30, 2025). "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Reunion Surprise: Jen Affleck and Whitney Leavitt Joining Dancing With the Stars". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ "Dancing with the Stars Cha-Chas Back to the Ballroom with an All-New Celebrity Cast" (Press release). ABC. September 3, 2025. Retrieved September 3, 2025 – via The Futon Critic.
{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Galante, Grace (November 30, 2025). "Carrie Ann Inaba Breaks Silence on Social Media Hate Targeting Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas: 'Broke My Heart'". Parade. Archived from the original on December 7, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ Ash, Janelle (November 27, 2025). "Mormon Wives star Whitney Leavitt sends clear message to haters after Dancing with the Stars elimination". Fox News. Archived from the original on November 27, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Kemsley, Tamarra (November 29, 2025). "What to know about Whitney Leavitt's Call Her Daddy interview". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on December 1, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
- ^ Gularte, Alejandra (November 27, 2025). "We Still Got a Whitney Leavitt DWTS Freestyle, Thanks to Alex Cooper". Vulture. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ Russo, Gillian (December 1, 2025). "Whitney Leavitt to join Chicago Broadway cast". New York Theatre Guide. Archived from the original on December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
- ^ Evans, Greg (February 18, 2026). "Mormon Wives Star Whitney Leavitt Extends Run In Broadway's Chicago After Scoring Big Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 19, 2026. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ^ Evans, Greg (March 17, 2026). "Whitney Leavitt Sends Broadway's Chicago To Highest Grossing Period In Show's 29-Year History; Dog Day Afternoon, Giant Begin Previews On Strong Note". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (December 16, 2025). "The Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives Star Whitney Leavitt To Make Feature Debut In Holiday Rom-Com All For Love – First Look". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) - ^ a b Hanlon, Sarah (September 4, 2025). "Get to Know #MomTok's Most Famous Couple, Whitney and Conner Leavitt". The Knot. Archived from the original on October 7, 2025. Retrieved November 27, 2025.