She’s described herself as a tormented child, forced to wear a “sexy facade” because that was expected of her.

Today, she speaks openly about the abuse she endured — all while building a stellar career that’s earned her three Primetime Emmy nominations for one of the world’s most popular series.

Clothes inside out

No child should ever have to endure abuse, and it’s absolutely horrific that it still happens all over the world.

The successful star we’re talking about today was abused by a neighbor at just 4 years old — a devastating crime that left a lasting impact.

Yet, she didn’t speak about it publicly until 2024.

“My first experience was when I was about 4 years old,” she said during an episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show. “By a neighbor in in our cul-de-sac. I’ve actually never said that out loud to anybody in an interview before.”

She recalled the moment she told her mother about what happened after coming home as a child with her clothes inside out. Her mom “freaked out,” and that’s when the family decided to move. “I guess my mom did do what she could,” she admitted, fighting back tears. “She just wanted to move and leave. She didn’t want to deal with it. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she did want to get us out.”

Highlighting that she wasn’t the only family member to go through similar trauma, she reflected, “That was a very, very confusing time because obviously growing up in the Mormon culture, everything needs to be perfect. Everybody needs to put on the shiny, ‘We’ve-got-our-stuff-together.’ And there was not a lot of repercussion for what had happened. So that was a very challenging thing to come to terms with, that nobody did anything.”

Raised in a Mormon household

She was born in Orem, Utah, the youngest of five siblings in a Mormon household.

Her parents, Bruce and Marianne, raised the family in a politically active environment — her father served twice as chairman of the Utah Republican Party and ran for Utah’s 2nd congressional district in 2023.

Another defining theme in the family was dancing.

Today, this 37-year-old is celebrated for her beauty and talent and has achieved remarkable success. But her journey to stardom wasn’t easy — she battled anxiety and depression as a child, faced harsh bullying in high school, and has even dealt with body-shaming in recent years.

”I don’t think a lot of people would know that about me because I come off as sunshine and happiness and positivity,” she once said.

Coming from a family of professional dancers, she naturally followed in their footsteps, starting competitive dance at just 9 years old, with many spotting her talent early on.

But her world was shaken when she was 10. Her parents went through a bitter divorce, and she was sent across the Atlantic to live with family friends in London. The move was tied to her enrollment at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.

Left home at 10

Growing up in Europe forced her to mature quickly. Leaving home each morning at 6:45, she navigated the subway alone to get to school.

“I remember one of my first days there I got off at the wrong train station,” she recalled to People. “I was just standing there thinking, ‘Where am I?’”

Being so young in the adult world of ballroom dance was especially challenging.

She told Cosmopolitan in 2013 that adults around her sometimes took advantage of her since she was away from her parents.

”While I was in London, I was abused, mentally, physically, everything”.

“They never got reprimanded for it because we didn’t say something,” she explained. “Instead, we just pivoted and we just moved — which is good, get out of a situation — but also that’s another thing which is for me, just pivot, pivot, pivot.”

In London, she faced a grueling schedule and constant pressure to maintain a specific image.

”I was 10 years old looking like I was 28, being a very sensual dancer,” she told Cosmo. ”I was a tormented little kid who had to put on this sexy facade because that was my job and my life. But my heart was the same, and I was this innocent little girl.

“When I look back, I think it’s so sad I have no pictures of me with a cute, bare, 10-year-old face,” she said.

Bullied in high school

After moving back to the U.S., she enrolled at the Las Vegas Academy and Alta High School. But life in America wasn’t exactly what she had expected at first.

”I got bullied in high school big-time. I had just come back from London and was the new kid. People looked at me like, ‘She thinks she’s all that,’” she told Redbook in 2014. ”And because I didn’t know how to talk to them, maybe I did come across that way? I don’t know. I got asked to prom by a guy, and he ended up ditching me that day because the girls had told him to do it.”

But even though she was bullied and battled her own demons, the gifted dancer still shone brightly, dominating competitions and earning prestigious wins by the age of 15. Around the same time, she also stepped into acting, making her film debut in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Her acting career skyrocketed with her first major role in Burlesque, followed by lead roles as Ariel in Footloose, Sherrie in Rock of Ages, and Katie in Safe Haven. She also brought Sandy to life in Fox’s 2016 live production of Grease.

Yet most fans know her best from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

Joining the show in 2007 as a professional dancer, she won two seasons with celebrity partners. After leaving in 2009, she returned in 2014 as a judge.

By now, you’re probably starting to guess who we’re talking about…

That’s right — all of this extraordinary talent belongs to none other than Julianne Hough.

Dating Ryan Seacrest

Julianne, who has also served as a judge on America’s Got Talent, has shared that dance was the anchor that gave her confidence when she felt lost. Over the years, she’s endured public scrutiny — from headline-making relationships and breakups to a controversial Halloween costume and body-shaming critiques.

Yet through it all, she’s shown incredible resilience, overcoming personal struggles to emerge as the talented and inspiring star she is today.

Julianne Hough’s romance with Ryan Seacrest was a headline-grabbing one. The two dated from 2010 to 2013, and she didn’t hide her feelings during their time together. “He is such an influential guy … and what if it didn’t work out? Our first date, I was so nervous that I just sat there and interviewed him with questions like, ‘Are you loyal?’ and ‘Are you close to your family?’” she told InStyle )n 2012.

“I’m very in love, and it feels great. I feel like I’m more comfortable in my own skin. You see me instead of all the makeup and hair.”

The split, however, was a tough moment for her.

“It was 2013, and I had just got out of a relationship that was very high profile,” she said on Instagram Live (via ET). “I was on private planes and yachts and living in a very, very well-off house. My life was pretty different from where I grew up.”

Reconnecting with her parents

After her split from Seacrest, Hough began dating NHL player Brooks Laich. The couple got engaged in 2015 and tied the knot two years later. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last long, reportedly because Hough wanted too much freedom to fully commit. Yet the breakup brought a silver lining: it allowed Hough to reconnect with her parents.

“They showed up for me as my parents and I needed that,” she reflected on that chapter of her life. “I reclaimed my parental relationship with them and I got to be the kid and they got to take care of me. That was the most healing time for us.”

She added, “I was in a vulnerable place of like, ‘I don’t have anything to protect myself, I am completely raw, so maybe I can hear you more now, and even though I didn’t think that you were understanding at the time, maybe you are, and I can actually receive it now because my guard is down and my heart is open.’ And so that’s when we really went through more of our healing and communication as adults.”

During this period, Hough’s family grew closer as they navigated the aftermath of her past abuse. She acknowledged that her parents felt a sense of guilt when they learned what she had endured during her teenage years. At the time, they didn’t know how to respond and often felt helpless, unsure of how to support her.

Ready for love again?

In 2025, Julianne Hough opened up about being ready for love — but on her own terms. The Dancing with the Stars host told E! News that she’s drawn more to energy than appearances.

”It’s all energy-based,” she explained. “” don’t really have a type. It’s more connection, and that’s it.”

Julianne Hough has been open about her battle with endometriosis, a painful condition affecting the tissue lining the uterus. She was diagnosed in 2008 and went public to help break the stigma surrounding the disease.

”I found out that I had endometriosis and that I needed to get surgery that week,” she told People in 2017.

However, she had experienced symptoms long before her diagnosis.

”When I was 15, I had symptoms of endometriosis, but I had never heard of it, didn’t know what it was. I thought that this was just the kind of pain you have when you’re on your period,” she explained. ”For years, I was just thinking that was normal and never really talked about it.”

Inside her painful diagnosis

Julianne Hough has also spoken about how endometriosis can affect fertility, a topic she discussed with her then-husband, Brooks Laich.

”We never actually tried to get pregnant. It was more of a precautionary measure: Let’s do our due diligence for the future by freezing eggs,” she told Women’s Health.

In the same interview, she shared how her symptoms had improved, which she attributed to ”the love and kindness I’m giving to my body.” She added, ”I believe there’s stress, shame, guilt, and suppression of female energy that’s associated with endometriosis, so de-layering that has really helped.”

And what about that infamous Halloween costume Julianne Hough wore back in 2013? She showed up at a party dressed as Crazy Eyes from Orange Is the New Black, sparking immediate backlash. Hough quickly took to X (formerly Twitter) to apologize after her blackface Halloween costume drew criticism.

”I am a huge fan of the show ‘Orange is the New Black,’ actress Uzo Aduba, and the character she has created,” she penned. ”It certainly was never my intention to be disrespectful or demeaning to anyone in any way. I realize my costume hurt and offended people, and I truly apologize.”

Uzo Aduba, who portrayed Crazy Eyes on the show, commented on Hough’s decision. ”I think maybe it was an unfortunate event, but she apologized, and I feel like we can all move on,” she told E! News.

Did you know about Julianne Hough’s past and everything she’s been through? 😳 I honestly didn’t realize all of it myself! Share this article if you also think Julianne is truly inspiring 💖