Lindsay Arnold is stepping into a new chapter.
After sitting out of last season of Dancing With the Stars, the pro revealed whether she's coming back this fall.
"I've been thinking very heavily about it," she told her followers in a recent TikTok. "And ultimately, this season is not going to work out for me and my family. I know that's not the answer that probably some of you want to hear. But at the end of the day, it's what's best for me and my family."
As Lindsay—who's raising daughter Sage and baby girl June with husband Sam Cusick in Utah—explained, there were several factors that went into this decision.
"The logistics of moving myself, my 2-and-half-year-old and my 3-and-a-half-month-old down to L.A. for a few months by myself, it's just a lot," she noted. "And to be honest, a lot of it is I don't want to separate our family. I don't really want to put my kids through that right now. I feel like this time of their life is so precious, and it's moving so, so fast, and I want to cherish every single moment. I don't want to miss a beat. And right now, the thing that's giving me the most fulfillment and joy is being a mom."
The influencer also expressed how she plans to focus on other aspects of her career, adding she's "very grateful that I can do 90 percent of my other work from home."
Lindsay joined Dancing With the Stars as a pro on season 16 back in 2013. She performed as a troupe member for the next few seasons before returning as a pro on season 21 in 2015. The dancer continued to serve as a pro throughout the remainder of her run—stepping away for season 29 in 2020 while she was expecting Sage. She won the mirrorball trophy with Jordan Fisher on season 25 in 2017 and last competed with Matt James on season 30 in 2021.
In her TikTok, Lindsay noted that leaving the show after season 30 felt like the "right decision" for her and her family. And while she said she doesn't have any regrets, she admits she still misses Dancing With the Stars.
"I love it," the 29-year-old shared. "I've made some of my best memories ever on the show, and I'm so grateful for that time in my life. I really believe there's a season for everything, and I had an incredible season and run on the show—almost 11 years of competing and doing what I love. And now, I feel like it's my season to be a mom and to be present with them and I'm so grateful for that as well."
"I'm never going to say that I'm just, like, done forever," she said. "Because like I said, who knows? Few years down the road, things might change or even next year maybe things might change. And it's just something that I'm gonna take one season at a time, one year at a time and really just listen to my heart…and do what feels best for me and my kids."
In fact, Lindsay teased that fans may still see her in some way this season.
"That's not to say that I'm not gonna be maybe having some fun connections to this season," she said. "I'm not gonna say anything other than that. But I'm very excited for this next season. It's gonna be so good—so good. So if you're not tuning in, you're missing out, and I can't wait to watch it with you guys."
Lindsay isn't the only one stepping away from the show. Fellow pro Witney Carson also recently announced her exit. As for who will be competing on season 32, Dancing With the Stars previously revealed that Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix and The Bachelorette's Charity Lawson will be among the celebrity participants and that the full cast and list of pros will be revealed Sept. 13.
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