Lindsay Arnold Announces Break From 'DWTS' For 'Myself And My Family'

Lindsay Arnold is sadly bidding a short-term farewell to the American dance series "Dancing With The Stars" for the new season to spend more time with her family. Moments after Sharna Burgess went live with news of her skipping season 31 of the dance show, Lindsay also took to her Instagram page with a lengthy message to explain her reasons for exiting this season also.

Posting an adorable picture of her family of three, featuring her husband, Samuel Cusick, and her baby daughter, Sage, the pro dancer appeared to feel right at home as they sat in a meadow. Lindsay began her message by writing, "I wanted to let you all know that I have decided not to be a part of Dancing With the Stars this season."

She continued, "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." The Latin dancer acknowledged that the show had been a part of her life for more than a decade, and she admittedly loved the show with all of her heart.

And although it changed her life forever and "will always mean the world to me," she also saw her family as the "most important thing" alongside doing what was best for her daughter. As fans are aware, the ballroom dancer's family lives in Utah, and it is not so convenient for her to move to Los Angeles with Sage to participate in "DWTS," leaving her husband, who is working full time there, behind.

She explained, "Logistically, there is so much involved with making this happen, and there is a lot of sacrifice that has to be made that unfortunately just did not feel right for us this time around." Despite exhausting every option she and her spouse of seven years could think of to make it work, none of the alternatives felt like the right thing to do for their lives.

Besides, they are also trying to expand their family, which "in itself is a complicated logistical thing," as many of her fans understood. "It's so important to me," Lindsay went on, "that you understand none of this has anything to do with my love for the show as that will NEVER change, and it also doesn't mean that this is the end for me and DWTS."

While the decision was a tough one, she felt at peace about it, knowing it was the right thing to do. Nevertheless, she could not wait to watch the new season and see all of her friends perform. She further assured fans that she would still be sharing everything about motherhood on her feed and taking them on the journey of her workout program "@themovementclub."

Concluding the message, she appreciated fans for their "continued love and support" for her and her family, as it meant a lot. In no time, commenters flooded the post with loving remarks, including several professional dancers and colleagues of the 28-year-old on "DWTS."

Jenna Johnson openly expressed her love and pride while Whitney Carson penned, "Miss you so much already, Linds!!! It won't be the same without you; I love you!" Dance stars Sasha Farber, Sharna Burgess, and Emma Slater also gushed about their love for Lindsay, including her sister, Jensen Arnold, who called her the "best mama" and was joyful she was not leaving "DWTS."

Similarly, Nikki Bella sent love to the Utah-born star and her family after calling her a great mom and admitting that she would be missed.

Back in January 2021, Lindsay gained criticism after posting photos on social media of herself with her family on vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic. As The Blast reported, her then newborn daughter was included in the getaway, and fans were not so happy about it, given the high chances of Sage contracting the virus. 

Shortly after the criticisms, the brilliant choreographer addressed them with a simple message, more like a passive response, showing her displeasure with those who criticized anyone's parenting.

While she maintained that she was "far from perfect," she did not need to be reminded of this fact. In addition, Lindsay wondered why critics never channeled their energy into something more encouraging instead of "looking for the negative and finding things to criticize."