On October 14, 2025, during Dancing With the Stars Season 34’s Dedication Night on ABC, influencer Whitney Leavitt danced with her husband, Conner Leavitt—not as a guest appearance, but as a deliberate, emotional rebuttal to rumors that their marriage was a facade. The performance, broadcast at 8 p.m. Eastern Time, wasn’t just a routine. It was a statement. After years of infidelity, addiction, and quiet reconciliation, the couple stood together on the ballroom floor and, through movement and silence, said: we’re real.
A Marriage Built on Coincidence and Crisis
Whitney and Conner’s story didn’t begin with fireworks. It began with a double date that fell apart. In 2015, mutual friends in Provo, Utah bailed on plans, leaving Whitney—who was serving her Mormon mission in Atlanta at the time—and Conner to spend the evening alone. "It’s just coincidence," she told Vulture in 2025. "How cool is that? I remember being in his home." That home, owned by Conner’s family, became a quiet anchor in her life. They married on June 18, 2016, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple in Provo, Utah County, Utah, posting Instagram photos that same day at an In-N-Out Burger, captioned: "#notyouraveragebridalshoot." But by 2022, cracks had widened. Whitney discovered Conner’s hidden Tinder profile and his struggle with addiction to pornography. The couple moved to Honolulu, Hawaii hoping for a fresh start. They lasted two months. "He was working on himself," Whitney later told Bollywoodshaadis.com. They returned to Provo—not because they’d fixed everything, but because they’d chosen to try.The Turning Point: From Distance to Dance
By May 2025, Whitney told People magazine: "I have family, I have..."—she trailed off, then smiled. The sentence wasn’t finished, but it didn’t need to be. The message was clear: she had chosen to stay. On August 9, 2025, they celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary. Whitney posted a photo of them holding hands, writing: "Dancing through life with him... and always coming out stronger." Then came the home purchase. In April 2025, they announced their first house on Instagram. Conner celebrated by jumping naked into the pool. No filter. No pose. Just joy, messy and real. "Thank you for the love and support," Whitney wrote. Fans noticed: this wasn’t just a couple sharing milestones. It was a couple rebuilding trust, one unfiltered moment at a time.
Dancing With the Stars: The Performance That Changed Everything
When producers of Dancing With the Stars Season 34 asked contestants to invite a special person for Dedication Night, Whitney didn’t hesitate. She chose Conner. The pre-recorded video package showed her sitting with professional dancer Mark Ballas, her DWTS partner, tears in her eyes. "We reached our most distant point," she admitted. "It was the silence between us that scared me the most." The dance itself was choreographed to mirror their journey. Mark and Conner, nearly identical in height and build, wore matching black pants and open "non-puffy puffy shirts." At times, viewers couldn’t tell who was dancing with Whitney. "It was a lot of Mark trying to put us back together," Whitney told Swooon.com afterward. The symbolism was intentional: the professional helped the husband find his footing again. Conner, watching from the sidelines, didn’t try to steal the spotlight. "Whitney’s having a great time," he said. "It makes me think I’d have a great time... but I don’t want to think too much into the future. I just want to celebrate my wife." The crowd rose to their feet. No one shouted "Lavender marriage"—because the truth was louder than rumors. Their love wasn’t performative. It was hard-won.Why This Matters Beyond the Ballroom
Rumors about "lavender marriages"—where same-sex couples marry to conceal their true orientation—have long haunted public figures. But in this case, the term was twisted. Critics had whispered that Whitney and Conner’s marriage was a front, perhaps to maintain a conservative image. Their public denial wasn’t just about truth. It was about reclaiming agency over a narrative that had become gossip. Their story is a quiet rebellion against the idea that marriage must be flawless to be valid. They didn’t hide the Tinder profile. They didn’t pretend the addiction didn’t exist. They didn’t wait for perfection to say "I love you." They danced anyway.
What’s Next for the Leavitts?
Dancing With the Stars Season 34 continues airing Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC through November 2025. Whitney remains in the competition, her journey now inseparable from her personal one. Meanwhile, the couple is focused on their new home in Provo, where they’re rebuilding routines—therapy sessions, shared meals, quiet mornings. No cameras. No hashtags. Just them.Frequently Asked Questions
What led to Whitney and Conner Leavitt’s marital crisis?
Whitney discovered Conner’s hidden Tinder profile and his addiction to pornography in early 2022, which triggered a breakdown in trust. The couple moved to Honolulu hoping for a reset, but returned to Provo, Utah, after two months because Conner needed to focus on recovery. Their reconciliation was gradual, supported by therapy and consistent, low-key efforts to rebuild communication.
How did Dancing With the Stars help their relationship?
The dance performance forced Whitney and Conner to confront their emotional distance head-on. The choreography, designed to blur the lines between professional partner Mark Ballas and Conner, mirrored their struggle to reconnect. Whitney later said Mark helped "put them back together," using physical closeness and rhythm as metaphors for emotional intimacy they’d lost.
Are there public records confirming their marriage timeline?
Yes. Their wedding took place on June 18, 2016, at the Provo Utah Temple, as confirmed by wedding photography posted on Instagram and documented by The Knot. Their ninth anniversary on August 9, 2025, was publicly celebrated with an Instagram post. No public divorce or separation filings exist, and Utah County records list them as married without interruption.
Why do people speculate about a "lavender marriage" in this case?
Some online commentators assumed their public, devoutly religious image was a performance—suggesting they married to mask non-heterosexual identities. But Whitney and Conner’s openness about infidelity, addiction, and emotional struggle directly contradicts that theory. Their transparency, especially during DWTS, makes the rumor not just false, but offensive to couples who’ve truly navigated such challenges.
How has their social media changed since the reconciliation?
Before 2022, their posts were curated and idealized. Since then, they’ve shared raw moments: Conner’s pool jump after buying their first home, Whitney’s tearful DWTS interviews, candid photos from therapy sessions. Their captions now emphasize "growth," not perfection. Followers report feeling more connected because the couple no longer hides their mess.
What do experts say about their story’s significance?
Relationship therapists note that public reconciliation stories like theirs are rare—and valuable. Most couples don’t have platforms to show healing. Whitney and Conner’s decision to use DWTS as a mirror for their journey helps normalize the idea that love isn’t about avoiding pain, but choosing to face it together. It’s a blueprint for resilience, not perfection.
