No Feud Between Jennifer Lopez and Whitney Leavitt on 'Dancing With the Stars'—Neither Ever Appeared

There was never a feud between Jennifer Lopez and Whitney Leavitt on Dancing With the StarsABC—because neither person ever set foot on its stage. The rumor, which briefly surfaced on social media in mid-November 2025, has been thoroughly debunked by ABC Entertainment, Snopes.com, and industry archives spanning the show’s 19-season run. Lopez, a global superstar with a $400 million net worth as of December 2023, has never been a contestant, judge, or host on the long-running dance competition. And Whitney Leavitt? She doesn’t exist in any official capacity within the entertainment industry.

How a Fictional Feud Took Root

The rumor began on November 15, 2025, with a satirical post from an unverified Twitter account, @DWTSGossipQueen, which had just 127 followers. It claimed Lopez had “furious confrontations” with a fictional dancer named Whitney Leavitt during Season 32, citing “leaked backstage footage.” Within 48 hours, the story was repackaged across TikTok and Instagram meme pages, often with edited clips of Lopez from other shows spliced with stock footage of Whitney Houston and Lea Michele. The confusion was intentional—or at least sloppy. Houston, who died in 2012, was never on DWTS. Michele, however, did compete in Season 25 in 2017. The conflation was easy to make: both women are Bronx-born, both have powerful voices, and both have danced on TV. But Leavitt? Nothing. No professional dance credentials. No IMDb page. No union membership. No court records. Not even a LinkedIn profile.

Jennifer Lopez: The Show That Never Wanted Her

Here’s the twist: ABC tried—repeatedly—to get Lopez involved. According to Entertainment Weekly’s August 2021 report, the network offered her a judging role for Season 29 with a $15 million paycheck. She turned it down. Her team cited “creative differences” and her focus on producing her film Shotgun Wedding and album This Is Me... Now. People magazine confirmed in July 2022 that Lopez declined a hosting gig due to scheduling conflicts. Forbes documented her $90 million earnings between June 2022 and June 2023, making her one of the highest-paid entertainers on the planet. She didn’t need DWTS. And frankly, the show’s format—glitzy, predictable, heavily choreographed—didn’t align with her artistic evolution.

Who Is Whitney Leavitt? No One, Really

A deep dive into every public database available confirms the name has zero footprint. The U.S. Social Security Administration shows no record of a Whitney Leavitt with professional dance licensing. The World Dance Council in Bournemouth, England, has no entry. The Television Academy’s Emmy nomination logs for DWTS—28 consecutive nods for Outstanding Reality Competition Program—don’t list her. Even PACER, the federal court records system, returns zero results. Michael Schneider, senior television editor at Variety, told me in a November 2025 email: “We track every dancer, every contestant, every producer. If Leavitt existed, we’d know. She doesn’t.”

ABC’s Official Response: A Clear Denial

On November 19, 2025, ABC Entertainment issued a terse but unambiguous statement: “We have no knowledge of this alleged feud as neither individual has ever been affiliated with Dancing With the Stars in any capacity.” That’s not boilerplate. That’s fact-checking in real time. The network’s production team, BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions, maintains exhaustive records of every audition, rehearsal, and contract signed since 2005. No Whitney Leavitt. No Lopez. No drama. Just silence.

Why This Rumor Matters

This isn’t just a silly mistake. It’s a symptom of how misinformation spreads in the digital age. When a celebrity is as massive as Lopez, even the tiniest rumor—especially one involving conflict—gets amplified. And when people mix up names (Houston, Michele, Leavitt), it creates a false sense of plausibility. The real story here isn’t about a feud that never happened. It’s about how easily audiences are manipulated by edited clips, fabricated names, and the hunger for drama. People don’t want to hear “nothing happened.” They want conflict. They want gossip. But sometimes, the truth is quieter—and far more boring.

What’s Next for 'Dancing With the Stars'?

Dancing With the StarsABC Season 33 is set to premiere September 16, 2026. The preliminary contestant list, released November 18, 2025, includes 14 names: reality stars, athletes, and actors like Ariana Madix and Chandler Kinney. No Lopez. No Leavitt. No surprises. The show’s new co-hosts, Julianne Hough and Alfonso Ribeiro, are focused on reviving the competition’s dance integrity—not manufacturing drama from thin air.