Mormon Wives 'villain' Whitney Leavitt reveals her surprise source of motivation after she quit reality show

Whitney Leavitt's time on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives has been marked by friction with her co-stars and backlash from her online 'haters.'

Now, she's finally leaving the Hulu reality series, which wrapped up filming season five last month.

'Regrets? Plenty. But I wouldn’t change a thing,' she told People in a new interview.

As for the criticism that has followed practically every step she's made, she added: 'I will always have haters. But I have found a way for it to motivate me where I’m like, "Let me prove you wrong."'

Leavitt, 33, was painted as the 'villain' early on with the heaviest tensions involving her fractured friendships with fellow MomTokers Taylor Frankie Paul and Mayci Neeley.

The Utah-based Mormon mom influencers had built a massive digital following after sharing family and lifestyle content on TikTok, which then inspired the television series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Wives.

Leavitt and Paul, 32, famously clashed during the premiere episode in September 2024 over Paul's June 2022 revelation that she and her then-husband, Tate Paul, had engaged in 'soft-swinging' with other couples in their MomTok friend group.

The couples had an agreement that allowed them to hook up with other partners but under the rule they would not 'go all the way.' But Paul confessed she had broken the rule during a night of drinking and did, in fact, 'go all the way' with one of the other husbands and later developed feelings for the man.

Leavitt said on the show that she felt 'betrayed' and unsafe, and that Paul had exploited the situation and dragged in people who had nothing to do with it.

Leavitt stated that she and her husband, Connor, were never involved in the soft-swinging scandal, and she distanced herself from members that were.

Viewers accused Leavitt of being overly dramatic and focused on protecting her own image.

Tension between Leavitt and Neeley erupted after Leavitt posted screenshots of the group's private texts online and skipped Neeley's 'Baby Mama' launch party. Neeley described Leavitt as being 'very impulsive' and 'changing her mind often.'

While Leavitt and Neeley kept their professional cool and distance, Leavitt and Paul famously unfollowed each other on social media.

Paul's 2023 domestic violence arrest involving her then-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, also brought unflattering light to the reality show. Co-stars grumbled to executives how her actions risked overshadowing the program and harming their careers, Page Six reported. 

Leavitt stepped away from MomTok and took breaks from The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Lives, culminating in her announcement on May 3 of this year that she was permanently leaving the show after the fifth season.

'I have learned to create more boundaries about what I share,' Leavitt told People.

Competing on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars was a dream come true for Leavitt, and put a much-needed fire in her belly.

'It reignited something in me that I had lost. I felt like I was this flower that wanted to bloom again, and Dancing with the Stars gave me that opportunity,' she told the outlet.

Leavitt's detractors followed her to the Hollywood set, however. 

She and her partner, Mark Ballas, faced accusations of favoritism among the judges, and criticism over her modern dance background giving her an unfair edge over the other competitors.

Though she was eliminated from the dance competition during the semi-finals, Leavitt got her chance to star as Roxie Hart in Chicago, making her Broadway debut on February 2. 

She was soon joined by 'best friend' Ballas and the show, which was originally planned as a six-week run, was extended to three months.

Leavitt's run in Chicago was a massive success, breaking box office records for the 29-year-old production.

'It’s definitely validating,' Leavitt said.

Meanwhile, Leavitt, who has three children, Sedona, six, Liam, four, and Billy, one, with husband Connor, has a new production company, Leavitt Media House, and is starring in and producing independent film projects including the holiday romantic comedy All For Love.

'I can’t control people accepting me in their projects, so let me go out and create my own,' she said, adding: 'I just want to keep going. I love a good challenge, and when somebody tells me I can’t do something, it makes me want to do it even more.'