Lindsay Arnold Opens Up About Her Decision to Step Away from Hollywood on DWTS trucc

The dumped islander has admitted they could see their exit coming from a mile-off

After leaving Dancing With the Stars following a 10-year run on the show, pro dancer Lindsay Arnold shared an update on her life away from the spotlight.

Lindsay Arnold traded her dancing shoes for something a little more comfortable.

The Dancing With the Stars alum—who spent over 10 years as a pro dancer on the ABC show—left the world of ballroom behind in 2022. And she has since found happiness in a simpler life living in Utah with her husband Samuel Lighter Cusick and daughters Sage, 4, and June, 20 months.

“Everything changed in the best way,” Lindsay told People in an interview published Jan. 18. “A lot of my priorities and where I wanted to spend my time—it just shifted.”

“My mindset shifted,” she continued. “Time goes 10 times faster when you have kids, and I just know that this time is so precious and something that you don't get back.”

And while the 31-year-old cherished the time she spent on the show, she found that city life was simply not the life for her, especially while raising two little ones.  

“To be honest, I actually never, ever loved or embraced Hollywood in a sense of where I'd want to live,” Lindsay explained. “Loved everything about what it offered to me, what it did for my career, what I was able to do out there, but I was actually always the pro that, in between seasons, would sneak back to Utah to be with my family.”

After all, she added, “This has always been where I know I want to raise my family.”

“It's truly an honor that I get to guide them and watch them, and experience their journey of becoming who they're meant to be,” she continued. “Something that's been really rewarding for me is reminding myself of the values and the things that are important to me because I'm thinking about what I want to instill in and teach my daughters.”

And while the high school sweethearts—who tied the knot in 2015—focus their energy on being the best parents to their two girls, Lindsay has found comfort in knowing that Samuel has been there for her every step of the way.

“He was at every single dance performance I've done since I was literally 16 years old. He supports everything that I do and vice versa,” Lindsay gushed. “The biggest thing is just fall in love with your partner and what they do. Even if you don't really get it or you don't feel the same way about their passions, just fall in love with the fact that they are so passionate about something and support them in everything.”

Now, Lindsay—sister to fellow DWTS pro Rylee Arnold—has found a new passion and community with other Utah-based moms, sharing glimpses of her life as a mother of two on social media. But at first, sharing her life with strangers was no easy feat.

“At the time, I had a social media following for people who only watched me and followed me because of Dancing with the Stars,” Lindsay noted. “That was scary, because I'm like, are they just going to hate me if I'm like, ‘Sorry, guys, I'm not doing it anymore. I'm going to be a mom?’ Maybe people hate moms. But it's been so cool, because every step of the way, by just truly being myself, sharing what I'm doing, it's naturally evolved my career, and my engagement, my community, in the most perfect way.”

And when it comes to her content, the TikToker doesn’t hold back when sharing her life candidly with her followers—sharing everything from her journey to getting a breast lift and augmentation to sharing her thoughts on generalizations about her religion on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

“I feel like my community, the people I'm around, are the most incredibly supportive people. It has been really cool to see that there's a lot of moms that I think want to have another passion and want to have an outlet, a fun, creative outlet for themselves,” she added. “I'm really lucky to have a lot of mom friends. My sisters are all moms and they're truly my best friends, but to be honest, my community here in Utah could not be more supportive.”

But Lindsay hasn’t been the only celebrity to take a step back from the spotlight. Keep reading to see other stars who have left Hollywood behind in search of a quieter life…