LOS ANGELES, Sept. 1, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — “Dancing with the Stars” pro Lindsay Arnold has announced she is leaving the show after a decade so she can spend her time with her family, in Utah.
Arnold shared a photo of herself with her husband, Samuel Cusick, and their 21-month-old daughter, Sage Jill, on Instagram and said she is leaving “DWTS” prior to the show’s 31st season and its move from ABC television to streaming service Disney+.
“This has been one of the hardest decisions to make but ultimately I have chosen what I feel is best for myself and my family,” Arnold wrote in an Instagram post. “‘DWTS’ has been a part of my life for over 10 years now and when I say I love the show with all of my heart I mean it!! This show has changed my life forever and will always mean the world to me.
“You all know that family is the most important thing to me and doing what is best for my daughter is always going to be at the top of my list!” she added.
Arnold said moving herself and Sage out to Los Angeles to film “DWTS” while leaving Cusick behind at their home in Utah did not work out logistically for the season. In addition, Arnold and Cusick are trying for a second child.
Sharna Burgess also leaving
“DWTS” castmate Sharna Burgess also said in a video on Instagram Stories that she will step away from “DWTS” to focus on her family. The professional dancer welcomed her first child, son Zane, with her partner, actor Brian Austin Green, in June.
“I was not ready to spend, at minimum, 10 hours a day away from Zane,” Burgess said.
“I’m a full-time breastfeeding mama. And not only that, I am so in love with being a mom. As much as it was hard to say no to ‘Dancing,’ … I have this family and this newborn at home that I may never get these moments back [with].”
Burgess said she will appear in Season 31 in “some capacity.”
Tyra Banks and actor and Season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro will host “DWTS,” which premieres for the season on Sept. 19.
