Whitney Leavitt learned a lot about herself this year.
As one of PEOPLE’s creators of the year for 2024, a mother of three and a star The Secret Lives of Mormon Women31, says she’s grateful to have connected with fans through the hit reality series.
“I went to a museum here in Utah and a woman came up to me and got a little emotional and was actually telling me about her and her husband. They went through similar issues that me and my husband went through and how in those moments listening to me that she could relate to me and not feel alone,” Whitney tells PEOPLE.
In the series, Whitney and husband Conner offered a candid look at their relationship after Conner admitted to struggling with pornography consumption — a problem Whitney had kept from her cast members as they dealt with the fallout from the “gentle rocking” sex scandal that was at the center of the seasons. 1.
“That meant a lot to me because you don’t see who’s watching, you don’t see the numbers, you don’t see the people watching or listening to your story. It’s just out there, but you don’t know who’s watching or seeing it.”
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Whitney Leavitt. Meet the PEOPLE creators of the year 2024
Leavitt also talked about what a learning experience it was to “learn how to deal with the criticism you get from friends or family and even people on the internet,” after her year in the spotlight.
“You have to choose what you accept and what you don’t accept. It’s really important to take the time to think about what you believe about yourself or what you don’t believe about yourself,” she shares.
“Because some people can tell you something and say, ‘Hey, I noticed this,’ and maybe that’s not the best trait and you either believe it or you don’t. And if you believe it, then I’m going to want to get better,” she continues.
“But I also think a lot of people just love name-calling and saying things that aren’t true, but maybe they just want to put you down. So what I’m carrying into the new year and what I’ve learned from this year is to take some time for self-reflection and really get to know who you are instead of just believing what everyone tells you.”
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Conner and Whitney Leavitt.
Whitney Leavitt/Instagram
The Hulu reality series was one of the most buzzed-about shows of 2024, earning the cast a spot on PEOPLE’s first Creators of the Year list. Leavitt and Taylor co-star Frankie Paul spoke to PEOPLE about their surprise at the show’s astronomical ratings and endless hype.
“I had no idea it was going to be number one on Hulu, and so quickly. The amount of people who watched it and saw it. Not only that, I thought it was more of a ‘Get your girls together’ look, but there are a lot of men who they enjoy the show,” says Paul.
“I don’t think any of us thought it would be as big as it is and will continue to be,” Leavitt agrees. “It was something we all wanted to do and we’re very grateful for how big it actually got and how big I know it’s going to get even bigger from here. That was my biggest surprise, a thousand percent.”
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Source: HIS Education