‘Dancing with the Stars’ Icon & Melanoma Survivor Witney Carson, 32, Is Pregnant With Baby No. 3: ‘A New Addition… Coming Soon’

“We’ve been keeping a secret… a new addition to the McAllister gang coming soon! We are so grateful and overjoyed to be growing our family,”  the Utah native shared the news alongside footage of her family smiling and posing together inside a photo booth.

Text appearing over the black-and-white video clip read, “Baby number 3 loading.”

RELATED: Motherhood After Cancer Treatment Yes, It’s Possible: Here’s What You Should Know About Fertility Preservation

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Further commenting on her pregnancy announcement with The Hollywood Reporter (THR), McAllister admitted, “I feel like I’ve been keeping a dark, dirty secret for a really, really long time.”

As for coming out publicly with the news, she said, “I feel a little bit crazy, to be honest, but I’m really excited for it to all finally come out. … I love dance. I love to compete. I love being on the show, and I also love being a mom, and I want to grow my family.

‘I Am Gonna Try and Do It All’

“So if I can do both and the baby is healthy, then I am gonna try and do it all, because women are amazing,” she added.”Why not just try and do it? I’m just really excited for everything to start up. I think it’s gonna be a very memorable, memorable season. ”

After noting how she’ll be going into her second trimester next week, she said this is the “latest I’ve ever been pregnant dancing, competing; anything.”

Fresh off a Season 34 Mirrorball win, McAllister is set to compete on Season 35 of DWTS alongside Guillermo Rodriguez. The new season will premiere on September 15, 2026.

“The fact that I am going to be in a little dance costume, being pregnant, is going to be very interesting and something I’ve never done before. But I’m really excited.”

“I’m a little bit nervous just with how people are going to react, but you know what? This is just what I feel is right for my family, and this is also my livelihood. Like, the show is also something that I have to do to provide for my family. Working while growing a human is going to be a challenge. But I think it’s going to be also hopefully inspiring, and hopefully it will go okay, and people will embrace it.”

Witney’s Melanoma Story

In 2014, two years before marrying and starting a family, Witney Carson’s dream became reality when she was promoted from Dancing With the Stars troupe member to a professional dancer after two seasons on the show.

However, a few weeks earlier, she had a mole removed from her foot that contained melanoma, a cancer her parents had also faced. As she prepared for her new role, she was still awaiting results to determine whether the disease had spread and whether further treatment would be necessary.

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Looking back on her diagnosis during an interview with NewBeauty, McAllister explained, “When I was 19, my mom noticed a strawberry-colored mole on the top of my foot and said we should go check it out. It was on the top left side of my foot and a little bit misshaped, but the most important thing is that it was growing.”

“My mom was hypersensitive because both of my parents had melanoma, so it ran in the family,” she shared. “But of course being a teenager in high school, I just thought I was invincible and skin cancer never crossed my mind at all — I was using tanning beds and not wearing sunscreen or protecting my skin at all. I wasn’t really worried, but then we got the results back and they were positive for melanoma.”

McAllister continued, “It’s actually a really crazy story. Right at the same time I got my diagnosis I was also auditioning for ‘Dancing With The Stars.’ I had just finished ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ and I had done the tour — I’m so thankful for it because it really launched my career — but my whole life I wanted to be on Dancing With The Stars.”

“That was my dream since I was 7 years old. And then I had the chance to be on the show and I had this melanoma on my foot, so I didn’t tell anyone — even the producers — for a long time. I underwent a few different abrasive surgeries and it was really hard for me because I was torn between going after my dream and taking care of my health. Ultimately I chose to take care of my health, and luckily I had three weeks to heal before the show went live. ”

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McAllister, who has since become an advocate for the disease, also told the Skin Cancer Foundation, “Despite my parents’ brushes with skin cancer, I’d never thought it would happen to me.”

She underwent surgery to remove an inch of tissue around the mole as well as two lymph nodes from her hip in February 2014 a few weeks before rehearsals for her new gig were supposed to start. Thankfully, her lymph nodes didn’t show any signs that the cancer had spread, and her disease was caught at stage IA.

Still, recovery was “the most devastating, depressing three weeks of [her] entire life,” she told the Skin Cancer Foundation. McAllister had to keep her foot elevated and immobile for 20 hours a day.

“When you’re a dancer, your body means everything,” she said. “I felt like mine had betrayed me.”

McAllister’s recovery took longer than expected, leaving her unprepared to dance when rehearsals began. Despite her doctor’s warnings, she pushed herself and eventually tore open her stitches. A Los Angeles physician later urged her to stop because of the risk of infection, but McAllister remained determined to pursue her dream. T

Today, she looks back on the experience with pride and considers the scar on her foot a lasting reminder of what she overcame.

“What I went through helped me become a better dancer and a better person,” she says. “I’m proud of this scar now. It was a catalyst for everything that came afterwards.”

Learning More About Melanoma

Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. It starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. In melanoma, the cells change in a way that allows them to spread to other organs.

Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma, according to SurvivorNet’s experts. You’ll want to watch them and tell your doctor about any changes you notice.

WATCH: How do you perform a skin check using the ABCDEs?

You’re most likely to find melanoma on sun-exposed skin areas like your face, neck, arms, and legs. Surprisingly, you might also find them in other places as well, like:

• The palms of your hands or soles of your feet
• On your eyes or mouth
• Under your nails

RELATED: Speaking Out After Skin Cancer Surgery: ‘Summer House’ Star Ashley Wirkus ‘Always Wore Sunscreen’ Says it Still Wasn’t Enough

SurvivorNet experts recommend avoiding unprotected sun exposure because ultraviolet (UV) radiation can lead to melanoma. Tanning beds pose ultraviolet radiation risks for skin cancer and should be avoided. Many dermatologists recommend using spray tans to reduce the risk of melanoma skin cancer.

As for the symptoms of melanoma, the most important thing to look out for when it comes to finding the disease is a new spot on your skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color, SurvivorNet’s medical experts say.

When you check your skin, use the acronym ABCDE as your guide:

• Asymmetrical moles: If you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?
• Borders: Is the mole irregular or jagged?
• Colors: Are there multiple distinct colors in the mole?
• Diameter: Is the mole larger than 6 millimeters (mm), about the size of a pencil eraser?
• Evolution: Has the mole’s color, shape, or size changed over time?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, our experts say it’s time to see your dermatologist for a skin check.

Treating Melanoma

Melanoma treatment has come a long way. Survival rates have risen dramatically, thanks to a “treatment revolution,” say SurvivorNet’s experts. With breakthrough treatments like targeted therapy and immunotherapy now available, people who are diagnosed today have a much better chance of living a long and healthy life than ever before.

If you’re diagnosed with melanoma, there’s a good chance surgery is going to be the treatment your doctor recommends. In the early stages of the disease, removing the cancer should lead to a cure. The question is typically not whether you’ll get surgery, but which kind you’ll have.

WATCH: Dermatologic Surgeon Dr. Nima Gharavi, On The “Gold Standard Treatment” For Melanoma

For an early-stage melanoma that is close to the skin surface, Mohs surgery might be an option. This technique removes skin cancer, layer by layer, until all the cancer is gone.

In general, stage I melanoma surgery consists of the simple, in-office removal of the cancerous cells by a dermatologist. If the cancer is thicker, your surgeon will remove it through a technique called wide excision surgery.

The removal of stage II and III melanomas are performed by surgeons or surgical oncologists, not dermatologists. You may also have a sentinel lymph node biopsy to see if the melanoma has spread to the first lymph node where it’s most likely to travel. If your cancer has reached this first lymph node, it may have spread to other neighboring lymph nodes, and possibly to other organs. Where the cancer is will dictate your treatment.

After surgery, the removed tissue and lymph nodes will go to a specialist called a pathologist, who will measure the melanoma and find out if it has clear margins. Having clear margins means the cells around the area of tissue that was removed don’t contain any melanoma. When there aren’t any cancer cells left around the removed area, your cancer is less likely to come back.

Once your cancer spreads, treatment gets a little more complicated, but there are still ways to stop it. New treatments have vastly improved the outlook for people with metastatic, or stage IV, melanoma.

Targeted drugs and immunotherapy have been shown to be more effective than chemotherapy. So, with many more choices, there is no standard treatment. Treatment will vary based on your condition and whether there is recurrent disease.

Research has found that immunotherapy drugs such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Opdivo (nivolumab) helped some people live longer. Combining immunotherapy drugs Yervoy (ipilimumab) and Opdivo (nivolumab) has also extended survival. Opdivo (nivolumab) + relatlimab is a new therapy option added to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines in 2022.  The combination of two immunotherapies is called Opdualag.

For those with the BRAF mutation, targeted drugs which shrink or slow the tumor can be a good option. This could include a combination of drugs, such as:

• Zelboraf (vemurafenib) and Cotellic (cobimetinib)
• Braftovi (encorafenib) and Mektovi (binimetinib)
• Tafinlar (dabrafenib) and Mekinist (trametinib)
• Zelboraf (vemurafenib) and Cotellic (cobimetinib) can also be combined with atezolizumab.

“Every patient is different and every situation is different,” says Dr. Anna Pavlick, medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine. She emphasized that “there is no cookie-cutter recipe,” for treating stage IV melanoma.

RELATED: There Is No “Cookie Cutter Recipe” for Treating Stage Four Melanoma

Dr. Pavlick also notes the importance of personalized care and treatment. “It really is a matter of looking at the tools we have so that we can pick the right tools to give the patient the best outcome.”

So, while there is no one-size-fits-all approach to treating metastatic melanoma, your doctor will work with you to develop a treatment plan that is tailored to your individual situation. Advances in research and technology are making the fight against metastatic melanoma more hopeful than ever.

Fertility Preservation After a Cancer Diagnosis

McAllister conceived her pregnancies naturally after battling cancer, but her journey is a reminder of how young woman diagnosed with cancer are likely concerned about their future when it comes to having children.

It’s important to understand that chemotherapy and radiation can harm your eggs, but there are many options for fertility preservation. Chief among them: freezing your eggs for future use or fertilizing the eggs and freezing the embryos.

It’s important to be your own advocate and discuss the options with your doctor, says Dr. Jaime Knopman, Director of Fertility Preservation at CCRM NY. Studies have shown that as many as 50 percent of women across the country are not informed about what they can do to preserve fertility before undergoing cancer treatment.

A cancer diagnosis doesn’t always mean you can’t have children.

IVF’s Role In Family Planning For Cancer Patients

Fertility struggles are a genuine concern among cancer patients, as certain cancer treatments can cause infertility. Fortunately, in many cases, efforts can be made before beginning treatment to help preserve fertility.

Fertility Preservation After a Cancer Diagnosis

Even without a diagnosis, many couples, at one point or another, experience infertility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says within the U.S., “about one in five” married women between the ages of 15 and 49 with no prior births are unable to get pregnant after trying for a year. Additionally, “one in four” of women in this group struggle to get pregnant or carry the pregnancy to term.

WATCH: How does chemotherapy affect fertility?

Infertility can be a side effect of cancer treatment due to how it impacts the body. Various cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiation, can affect both men’s and women’s fertility. Before undergoing cancer treatment, patients should speak to their doctors about fertility preservation if they wish to have a family in the future.

Patients should also recognize that infertility is a problem that affects so many people hoping to be parents, and nothing to be ashamed of.

The American Psychological Association said in its Monitor on Psychology Magazine, “A diagnosis of infertility — the inability to get pregnant after a year or more of trying — can lead to depression, anxiety, and other psychological problems, trigger feelings of shame and failure to live up to traditional gender expectations, and strain relationships.”

Among men, infertility can “cut into a man’s feelings of masculinity” and “can lead to issues of shame and embarrassment,” psychologist William D. Petok told the outlet.

Cancer’s Impact on Male Fertility

Cancer treatments like chemotherapy can damage sperm in men, and hormone therapy can decrease sperm production, according to the National Cancer Institute. Radiation treatment can also lead to lower sperm count and testosterone levels, impacting fertility.

Possible side effects of cancer treatment should be discussed with your doctor before starting treatment. Men may have the option to store their sperm in a sperm bank before treatment to preserve their fertility.

This sperm can then be used later in in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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