Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star Whitney Leavitt Swears That Viral NICU Dance Video Wasn't ‘For Clout’ - But Admits She DID Tell Demi That! Here's Why...

Whitney Leavitt is speaking out again about that controversial hospital dance video — in response to Demi Engemann‘s pretty icky accusations!

For those who didn’t follow the Mormon Mommy TikTok scene back in 2021, Whitney got into some trouble after posting a video of herself dancing to Kendrick Lamar’s Love … next to her infant son Liam, who was lying in a NICU bed battling respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pneumonia. At the time, she faced a ton of backlash online. The inappropriate dance made it seem like she cared more about likes than her baby boy’s serious health battle.

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In their new hit reality show The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, Whitney tried to explain she had just wanted to “do something fun” during a scary time. However, according to Demi, that was a bunch of BS. She claimed that Whitney — while “coming out of ketamine” — admitted she posted the video “for sympathy, likes, clout, recognition and to gain her following.” Demi even thinks she has “a video of her admitting” all that somewhere. Whoa. How gross if Whitney confessed to trying to get more clout through her child’s illness.

Now, the reality star is firing back at Demi’s accusations. On Wednesday, Whitney addressed the viral video while appearing on The Squeeze podcast with Tay and Taylor Lautner — and once again swore she didn’t make it “for clout.” She explained when she and Demi did the ketamine treatment, that was her first time doing something like that. During the therapy, Whitney was instructed to think of something she wanted to “work through” — and she chose the controversy.

At the time, she was in a “dark” headspace due to the negative comments about her on social media following the video. When Whitney made the TikTok, she told the hosts, she was trying “to find any glimpse of happiness.” Her baby was sick, she was going through “hormonal changes.” As the momma pointed out, she “just had a baby”. She maintains she really was just trying to find some light in the dark… but that’s not how it was read by fans, of course.

So while she was on ketamine, Whitney remembered all the “hateful” messages she received, started to believe them, and blurted out to Demi that she really “did do this for clout”:

“I’m on ketamine and I’m going through that, and I’m remembering reading such, like, hurtful and hateful messages about myself, and I’m sitting in that space and I’m believing it. And so, I’m coming out of this saying all of these things. Like, I am a horrible person. I did do this for clout. I don’t even remember everything I said, but I don’t believe everything I said. That was so dark, and I do believe that when you read so much hate about yourself, you can believe it. And that’s what was happening. And I didn’t do it for clout.”

So it wasn’t a confession to Demi… it was an attack of internalized guilt??

Whitney also noted she “normally” shared dance videos in response to TikTok comments. It’s something she was known for… but that clip just took off more than her other ones — and not in the way she ever expected. Looking back, the Hulu personality said it “makes me sick.” Hmm.

We really hope it’s true Whitney didn’t just make the video for clout. But frankly it kind of feels like even she doesn’t know for sure… Watch the podcast interview (below):