Whitney Leavitt has learned a lot about herself this year.
As one of PEOPLE’s 2024 Creators of the Year, the mom of three and star of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, 31, 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 basically venting to me about her and her husband. They went through similar issues that myself and my husband went through and how in those moments listening to me that she could relate with me and didn’t feel alone,” Whitney tells PEOPLE.
On the series, Whitney and husband Conner offered a candid look into their relationship following Conner’s admission of struggles with porn consumption — an issue Whitney hid from her castmates as they dealt with the fallout of the “soft swinging” sex scandal that was the center of season 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 who are watching or listening to your story. It’s just out there, but you don’t know who’s viewing it or seeing it.”
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Leavitt also opened up about what a learning experience it’s been “learning how to deal with the criticism you get from friends or family, or even people online,” after her year in the spotlight.
“You get to choose what you accept and what you don’t accept. It’s really important to take the time and self-reflect what you do believe about yourself or what you don’t believe about yourself,” she shares.
“Because some people can tell you something and say, ‘Hey, I’ve noticed this,’ and maybe it’s not the best trait and either you’re going to believe it or not. And if you do believe it, then you’re going to want to get better,” she continues.
“But I also think a lot of people just love name-calling and love saying things that aren’t true but may want to just put you down. So what I’m taking into the new year and what I’ve learned from this year is take the time to self-reflect and really get to know who you are rather than just believing what everyone is telling you.”
The Hulu reality series has been one of the most buzzed-about shows of 2024, earning the cast a spot on PEOPLE’s inaugural Creators of the Year list. Leavitt and castmate Taylor Frankie Paul spoke to PEOPLE about their surprise around the show’s astronomic ratings and endless buzz.
“I had no idea it would hit number one on Hulu, and so soon. The amount of people that have watched and seen it. And not only that, I thought it was more of a, ‘Let’s get your girls together’ kind of watch, but there’s a lot of men that enjoy the show,” Paul says.
“I don’t think any of us thought that it was going to be as big as it is and it’s going to continue to be,” Leavitt agrees. “It was something that we all wanted to do and we’re so grateful with how big it actually got and how big I know it’s going to just get even bigger from here. That was my biggest surprise, a thousand percent.”
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