From her celebrated run on Dancing with the Stars to her recently announced casting as Roxie Hart in Chicago, it’s an exciting moment for Whitney Leavitt. After The Viall Files podcast questioned her ability to balance it all as a mom, fans — and Whitney’s husband, Conner Leavitt — are defending the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star.
Nick & Natalie’s Controversial Comments
During a Dec. 2 episode of The Viall Files, Natalie Joy, who hosts the podcast with her husband, Nick Viall, said Chicago was “great” for Whitney, and “exactly what she needs to do.”
However, on a “mom level,” Natalie said she’s “curious … how she’s managing both” motherhood and her burgeoning opportunities.
“Because right now her career has skyrocketed,” the podcaster continued. “She just did Dancing with the Stars for what, three, four months? I know she has kids in school-level, maybe they’re home-schooled, I don’t know. But to be in LA for four months doing Dancing with the Stars, and to now shift to New York City doing Chicago, that takes so much of her time. How is she managing prioritizing being a mom and her kids, who I imagine have some sort of schedule and routine?”
Nick replied that Conner is a “very hands-on, very stay-at-home dad.” However, despite agreeing with producer Mary Bernthal’s comments that many Broadway moms “figure it out,” he also supported Natalie’s perspective.
“Whitney has gone from, ‘Alright, we’re gonna uproot our life, we’re moving to LA, we’re gonna do Dancing with the Stars — and then now, we’re gonna uproot our life, we’re gonna go to New York, we’re gonna do Broadway,’” Nick said. “It’s a lot for all of them, I mean, to their credit. I am curious how they’re making it all work.”
Natalie also acknowledged that she and Nick are “constantly on the go” themselves while parenting their young daughter — before countering, “We realize once she is in school, our life has to drastically slow down, you know? And I just can’t imagine what is going through Whitney’s head of like, I’m finally getting everything I’ve ever wanted in my life — and it’s obviously happening at a time where she’s got three kids who I’m sure demand her attention just as much as Roxie Hart and Dancing with the Stars does.”
Several listeners described the comments as “mom-shaming.” As one person wrote, “Natalie, this is a really clear example of internalized misogyny you carry. To question Whitney’s ability to pursue motherhood and career simultaneously is rooted in a male societal view of women’s roles.”
“If it was a man he’d be a ‘good provider’ and great dad. Since it’s a mother, she’s somehow uprooting her children,” another commenter said, noting that Whitney is setting an example for her kids that women are “allowed to follow their dreams and go for what they want.”
Conner Leavitt Speaks Out
On Dec. 4, Conner posted a TikTok video of him dancing to “We Both Reached for the Gun” from Chicago with two of their kids. (He commented that their third, a 1-year-old, was napping.) “We can’t wait to go watch mommy perform on broadway!” he wrote atop the video, adding in the caption: “Teamwork looks different for everyone. This is how we do ours ❤️ couldn’t be more proud of @Whitney Leavitt.”
“Can’t wait to come home and join in on this dance party 🥹💕🤭,” Whitney commented.
Several fans interpreted the video as a reply to Nick and Natalie’s remarks, which Conner seemed to support by liking comments mentioning the podcast. As he replied to one fan, “It makes me smile that my daughter and sons get to learn from their own mother that no dream is [too] big to reach!”
