INTERVIEW: Peta Murgatroyd Talks All Things Family and New Peta Jane Beauty

Dancing With the Stars’ Peta Murgatroyd is stepping into a new chapter, both in her home life and business ventures.

The professional dancer announced in January that she was pregnant with her second child with fellow DWTS alumni Maks Chmerkovskiy. Murgatroyd’s announcement comes on the heels of her journey with miscarriage and IVF treatment, and while she looks back on that hard time in her life, she is grateful as she gets ready to welcome her new child.

Murgatroyd is also the founder of Peta Jane Beauty, a line of tanning products inclusive of all skin tones and levels of familiarity with self-tanning. The line is highly recommended by dancers, actors, and everyday people looking to get their glow on.

Peta Murgatroyd sat down with Glitter to discuss all things family and new Peta Jane Beauty ventures.

BRITTANY: Peta, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us today. How are you?

PETA: Thank you so much for having me. Look, I am feeling amazing. I am 29 weeks pregnant, and I’m feeling really healthy, really good, and really positive.

BRITTANY: That’s amazing. I did want to congratulate you on your pregnancy, and just how has that been going?

PETA: Thank you so much. Thank you. It’s been going great. You know, this is such a special time. You probably have heard of what we did go through in the past with, you know, struggling for the last couple of years. So this is just such a blessing for us to happen naturally, just, you know, straight away after the first IVF failed. So we’re just so happy and so grateful to be able to do this again.

BRITTANY: Yeah, definitely. I did want to talk just a little bit about your journey, just for our readers who may not know, can you just take us a little bit through your journey from 2020 to now?

PETA: Yeah, absolutely. So 2020 pandemic hit, and I got pregnant in, I think it was September or October, and it was such a highlight for us. We had just started trying, and we were on top of the world and then. Shock to all of us. It was more shock than anything that something like this could happen. I didn’t realize, you know, after being an athlete so healthy all my life, I didn’t realize that it really has nothing to do with your reproductive system. So our first miscarriage happened at six weeks, and then another one happened a year later. Then my husband was stuck in the war in Ukraine. There’s been so much going on. And then I had another one in the hospital, and then we tried IVF. And that was the route that I really thought was going to work for me. That was, you know, that was my saving grace. This works for a lot of people. Now’s the time to try that type of thing. And it just didn’t work. The first time we tried, it was I was very hopeful. Everything leading up to it was amazing, positive, and 100% great with all the testing, and yeah, didn’t work, got the phone call. And so I went back to Dancing with the Stars, and that was kind of the best thing I did. It took my mind off everything, and I was pregnant naturally within a month. So it’s crazy how stuff like that happened.

BRITTANY: Absolutely. Once again, congratulations, and you know we wish you all the best.

PETA: Thank you so much. Thank you.

BRITTANY: Of course. You did mention your IVF journey, and a while ago, I listened to your episode of the Vulnerable podcast with Christy Carlson Romano. I know, specifically, you mentioned you wanted to keep it a secret. You know, at the moment, you were a little mortified and almost embarrassed in a way. So what changed your mind and made you want to share?

PETA: I think I had just gotten to that point in my life where it was very hard to. Keep traveling with that type of burden on my shoulder and that secret. It was really heavy. It was like a dark cloud was always around me because I had this in a secret, this, this knowing that maybe I can’t ever be pregnant again. And it was just something that I needed to release and get out into the open. Also, to get some people off my back because, you know, it was the constant question of when “are you guys having another sibling?” You know, “how could you not give Shai another sibling? How could you not try?” You know, all of this stuff and, you know, people have no idea what people are going through in their personal lives and at home. And, of course, that was very private to us. I was never going to share that type of information. So I got to the point where I was just over it, and releasing it actually made me feel human. It made me feel like I wasn’t damaged, like I was going to be okay. And I feel like my life kind of really just took off after that.

BRITTANY: After sharing your story, what was the reception from the public like?

PETA: It was amazing. I, I couldn’t have asked for more of an outpouring of love. It was crazy. I mean, not to mention how many people actually came forward and said, “hey, it’s happened to me, too.” “Hey, I just had one last summer, you know?” I mean, I’m going to say without a word of a lie, I had thousands of DMs of women coming forward and their stories, and I read all of them. It was so cathartic to just know that I wasn’t alone, know that I wasn’t the only one who it looked like it was perfect on the outside, but there was something actually going on on the inside, you know? So it was helpful to everybody, I think. And, you know, if I did help one person have a little bit more hope in their journey or realize they’re not alone, then that was worth it.

BRITTANY: That’s amazing to hear. And I know as women, we keep certain things, as you mentioned, you keep it inside because you feel like, wow, like you may be the only one going through this, or this is something that you’re scared to share with the public. And then you see that you just have this community around you. And it’s a great feeling, as you mentioned. And with that, you know, you mentioned in September you found out you were pregnant. So can you tell me a little bit about how you found out?

PETA: Yeah, I mean, it was just the usual story. We had just started trying, so we were super happy that it happened very quickly for us within the first month. I kept it a secret. I told a few people, and, you know, I regretted that immediately as the miscarriage happened because, you know, you have to go to each and every person and call them and tell them that it’s not happening anymore. But it was a very exciting time. I, you know, jumped for joy off the toilet. And after doing the pee stick thing, and it was just height, heightened elevation, levels of happiness and joy, you know, elevated levels, it was just crazy. And it was during the Dancing With the Stars season as well. I was dancing with Vernon Davis, and it really affected me. That was the one the first one that got me for about; I’m going to say, four straight months. I was I was not myself.

BRITTANY: This time around specifically, you were pregnant at the same time, for a little bit, with your sister-in-law, Jenna Johnson. Can you just tell me a little bit about what was that like?

PETA: That was awesome. You know, we always said it would be great to be pregnant together, and we got a little bit of time together. I was like, I guess three months or something that we had together been pregnant. Obviously, she was much further along than I was, but it was really exciting. You know, we. Both wanted to expand our families. And, you know, she just told her story of a miscarriage on Good Morning America today. So we’ve been through a lot together, and it’s really brought us super close, actually.

BRITTANY: That’s awesome. From Dancing with the Stars to Petea Jane Beauty, you’ve been a working mom for several years. Can you talk a little bit about how you balance that?

PETA: Sometimes I don’t. Honestly, it’s. Gosh, I go day to day. Honestly, some days I nail it. Some days I don’t. Right now, I’ve got a bit of a mommy brain, so I have to write everything down. I have to schedule everything. Like I take notes in my notes folder. I have to have everything on my calendar. I’m that way in general. Like, I love writing notes and having notes in my bag with a notebook. But I like balancing both. I feel like I don’t want to do. Just one or the other. I have to have like a well-rounded life, like a mixture of things in my life, to make myself happy as well. And I think that’s important as a mom, as a wife, as a daughter. You know, I think you have to be ultimately happy as well. And for me, that involves work, that involves going to the studio and dancing, that involves going to the gym most days, you know, like doing things for myself as well and going on date night. And I hate the word date night because it’s super cheesy. But I would rather say, like, make time for just you and yourself, you know, your partner and yourself. It’s just it’s super important to keep that balance because it’s very, very easy to sway and get on the other side and just be so consumed with the children in your life. It’s just that way.

BRITTANY: Listen, time to yourself is precious, and it’s so important to be able to carve that out.

PETA: Absolutely.

BRITTANY: Now, on the subject of Peta Jane, Beauty. I am a huge fan of the original tanning mousse. So tell me a little bit about the inspiration behind the line. How did that come about?

PETA: Yes. So we recently well, we revamped the line and came out with a ton of new products in February 2021. That’s when I felt like I really nailed it. I got the formulas right. I have the packaging that I want. I have the branding that I want. This is exactly what I want to put out there for the public to see with my name plastered on a bottle. Like, I want that, and it’s working. So the reason behind doing all of this is that I’ve been using Self-tan for years now. I mean, I’m a self-tan addict, obsessed. You know, I love being tanned, and I could never find the right color or the right product that would look great for the stage and also transition well into everyday life for the regular person that’s out in the day. They don’t want to look like an old pullover or smell weird, look orange like it’s got to work for everybody. So there was nothing that I could find. So I decided to create my own. And we have created something that is not orange. It looks like you have come back from Ibiza, you know, after spending two weeks on vacation. It doesn’t smell bad. We have a beautiful floral scent in there, and the drying time is within 1 to 2 minutes. So I feel like we really nailed it with this line. It’s just, and that’s our feedback, you know, 99% of the time, we have, “I love the smell. I love that I don’t smell. I love that I can put my clothes on immediately after I do it.” That makes me so happy that we’ve found something for people that need something quick sticks.

BRITTANY: Oh, yeah, of course. Also, I’m hearing that there is a gradual tanner being added to the line.

PETA: Yes. So we have a gradual tanning line, like a whole new line coming out. It’s going to be a face tan, which is going to be like a little pop-up jar that’s like a set, essentially a face moisturizer with a hint of tan in there so you can gradually tan your face. We have a whole-body cream, which is a gradual tan. So you can put it on daily, or you can put it on once a week to keep the tan going. And we also have a tan extender, which you would use on top of the mousse. Once you’ve darkened your skin and stained your skin with the mousse, you can put this on top every day to keep the tan lasting longer. So it’s exciting. This line is going to be great for the people that also just want to do like a hint gradually. They want to, like, tiptoe into the tanning world, you know, and not like do a whole, you know, answer, maybe confident with doing a whole layer themselves.

BRITTANY: Right. Well, this summer is right around the corner. I’m sure this is going to be the product that everybody needs. So that is very exciting, and we cannot wait for it to come out. Now, Peta Jane Beauty, “beauty” is a very broad term. So in the future, maybe in the near future or maybe far future, do you see yourself extending into other fields of beauty?

PETA: Yeah, I think that’s the plan. I do feel like the makeup industry is very saturated right now with celebrity endorsements and celebrity-owned brands. But I would like to have a few products come out with, like a bronzer, a lip gloss, like stuff that would go with your tan, too, to make you feel like you’ve finished off your look. I don’t know if we will ever come out with eyeshadow palettes and stuff like that, I’m not sure about, but I know that skincare is definitely the next thing on our list, maybe in 2024. That would be something that we would be introducing as well. So exciting.

BRITTANY: We can’t wait. That’s so exciting.

PETA: Thank you.

BRITTANY: As you embark on this new journey of becoming of welcoming your second child and your beauty line, what are you most excited about?

PETA: I would say one thing. I’m just a moment in time that I cannot wait to see is my son Shai holding this baby. I cannot wait for that moment. I literally tear up thinking about the time when I see him walk into the room, and he can hold them for the first time. It’s going to be just pure bliss for our family. Honestly, it’s going to be amazing. So that’s the number one thing. I think just, you know, growing as a person, growing as a family, you know, taking more risks in business as well. You know, maybe getting back into my acting that I was so passionate about before, you know, expanding Peta Jane, beauty is just it. I think that that company has no limits right now. I feel like we’re selling out, and I’m not just saying that for an interview. We’re selling out. We have reordered again for summer because people are just loving the product. So I think just everything encompasses family, life, and business. I’m just looking forward to it all.

BRITTANY: Absolutely. We cannot wait to see.

PETA: Thank you so much.

BRITTANY: I want to thank you so much once again for taking the time to chat with us at Glitter. We wish you all the best, and we can’t wait to see what’s coming next with you.

PETA: Thanks, Brittany. Thank you so much. We’ll talk soon. Thank you.

Watch Peta Murgatroyd’s full interview with Glitter Magazine below.