Ali Landry revealed that she had turned down Dancing with the Stars because she did not want the competition to affect her relationship with her future husband.
The actress said the opportunity had arrived after she went through a difficult public breakup and began a new relationship. Although DWTS had appealed to her, Landry had prioritized protecting that relationship.
Ali avoided Dancing with the Stars because she didn’t want intimate dancing to jeopardize her relationship
Landry, 53, told PEOPLE that Dancing with the Stars had likely become the first major reality show she rejected.
“That one was a no for me at the time because I had gone through a terrible public breakup and I had just met my husband,” she explained.
Landry said she and her future husband had gotten engaged around that period. She worried that spending extensive time physically close to a dance partner could create unnecessary problems.
“Dancing with the Stars, being in such close proximity to the opposite sex and the dancing… it’s very intimate. I did not want to do anything to jeopardize my relationship with my husband,” she admitted.
Landry also rejected the idea that contestants could always separate physical closeness from emotional attachment.
“People pass these things off as if it’s no big deal, you’re just dancing. But that’s a lie. You spend all your time with the person and you’re that physically close — feelings arise.”
Her previous breakup had made her more cautious about those choices, and she said she had not wanted to ignore the potential risks.
After rejecting DWTS, Landry had considered other reality television opportunities. Producers had approached her about The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills several times, and she already knew many women from the cast.
However, Landry had ultimately decided that reality television did not match the life she wanted. She said she had focused on “peace, truth and joy” when weighing those offers.
The actress had understood the career opportunities reality television could provide, but she had also watched friends deal with its more difficult side.
For Ali Landry, protecting her relationship had mattered more than accepting a spot on Dancing with the Stars.
