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Leavitt and her partner Mark Ballas were eliminated after the show’s semifinals, one week before the finale
Brittany MillerThursday 27 November 2025 17:12 GMTComments
CloseWhitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas perform freestyle dance on 'Call Her Daddy'
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Fans of Dancing with the Stars are questioning whether eliminated couple Whitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas were allowed to dance their prepared freestyle dance despite not making the ABC competition show’s Tuesday finale.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star Leavitt and pro dancer Ballas were sent home from the competition one week before the finale to the disappointment of many fans who believed Leavitt was the “best dancer” in the series. The finale saw Robert Irwin and his partner Witney Carson take home the coveted Mirrorball trophy.
On Wednesday’s episode of Call Her Daddy, host Alex Cooper brought the pair on to address the backlash over Leavitt’s dance background — including her BYU dance degree and past competitions against Carson, a DWTS pro from a rival studio.
Other fans had targeted Ballas throughout the season, claiming he was receiving favoritism from the judges.
The episode ended with the couple performing their freestyle routine, which they were never able to perform in the show’s final.
open image in galleryWhitney Leavitt and Mark Ballas on 'Call Her Daddy' (Call Her Daddy/Sirius XM)
open image in galleryThe couple were constantly criticized for Leavitt’s prior dance experience (Disney/Eric McCandless)The dance started off to Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” before transitioning into The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' theme song. They were surrounded by a group of dancers wearing all-black with ski caps, holding iPhones as flashlights. They flung Leavitt in the air, and she collapsed on the ground.
Ballas then lifted a now-bleeding Leavitt as the pair applied clown makeup — a commentary on the performative nature of social media. Their dance ended beneath a flashing sign that read, “Social Media Is Bad for Your Mental Health.”
While some viewers praised the choreography, others questioned whether the dance was performed in good taste.
“I'm probs just a hater but I think Whitney and Mark performing their own freestyle outside of the show is in really poor taste,” one X user posted. “You lost, don't be a sore loser. I've never seen any other contestant so bitter to not make the final.”
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Another user agreed, writing, “Whitney and mark doing a ‘freestyle’ dance in chd is so tasteless bc they’re basically saying that the finalists aren’t deserving of dancing in the finale which is just so disrespectful (especially disappointed in mark as a longtime dwts fan).”
“Whitney and Mark performing their freestyle on Call Me Daddy is giving a participation award,” wrote a third person. “Y’all were eliminated, others didn’t get to perform their freestyle either.”
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