Hilaria Baldwin says DWTS healing journey for family after hard years

Hilaria Baldwin says her Dancing With the Stars journey has been a healing experience for her and her family after a hard stretch in recent years. In an exclusive interview in the DWTS ballroom on Tuesday night, the yoga instructor described her time on the ABC competition as more than a personal pursuit. "I used to hear when I was a younger mom, I used to think it was like I didn’t deserve it," she told Page Six. "I think there's a lot of guilt as a mother of taking a moment for yourself. Other mothers who had children, who were older than me and more experienced, would tell me, 'Yeah, you totally need me time to be a better mom.' And this is one of the first things I’ve ever done that is 'me time,' truly."

Hilaria Baldwin said production moved her family to Los Angeles so they could be with her as she competes for the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy. "Dancing With the Stars is an amazing family where everybody has been so supportive and they made that possible," she gushed. "So every day, my kids who have had a really hard past few years, are here and they’re seeing their mom happy and going off to work." The Baldwins share seven children: Carmen, 12; Rafael, 10; Leonardo, 9; Romeo, 6; Eduardo, 5; María, 5; and Ilaria, 3.

She noted that the family’s presence in Los Angeles has been part of the healing process, even as their lives have been scrutinized in other headlines over the years — from questions about her accent to the high-profile Rust incident on Alec Baldwin’s film set. "DWTS is an amazing family where everybody has been so supportive and they made that possible," she repeated, emphasizing that the show has become a centerpiece of their current chapter. "Every day, my kids who have had a really hard past few years, are here and they’re seeing their mom happy and going off to work."

On Tuesday’s One-Hit Wonders Night, Baldwin and her pro partner, Gleb Savchenko, delivered a tango to Haddaway’s What Is Love. The routine earned a 21 out of 30 from the judges — Carrie Ann Inaba, Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli — a result that the pair acknowledged as a stepping stone.

Following the performance, Savchenko told Page Six that the pressure to win Season 34’s Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy is intense. “When we were in New York, I showed him our first rehearsal video. He watched the cha cha, he took a little pause,” Savchenko recalled. “He looked at me and said, ‘If you don’t win, I’m blaming you.’” Hilaria echoed the moment, joking, “For Gleb’s benefit, just vote for us, because we need it for his safety!”

Looking ahead, Savchenko said the duo is zeroing in on Week 3 — the show’s first-ever TikTok Night. They plan to samba to a TikTok hit, with Savchenko promising an authentic samba that carries a little modern flair. “We’re dancing the samba to one of the hit [TikTok] songs,” he said, adding that the routine should feel both true to form and timely.

DWTS returns next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC and Disney+, with new episodes on Hulu the following day. Baldwin and Savchenko are focused on rehearsals for the upcoming week and maintaining balance for the family as the competition unfolds.

For Hilaria, the experience has been more than a competition. She said the journey has offered a rare sense of togetherness in a year marked by public attention and personal challenges, and that the daily presence of her children on set has allowed them to see their mother pursuing happiness. “Because children want to see their moms happy,” she said, underscoring the show’s role as a family chapter in their lives.