Julianne Hough opened up about being sexually abused when she was just four years old.
The 36-year-old, known for her career as a professional dancer and for hosting Dancing With the Stars, where she won two Mirrorball trophies, spoke on “The Jamie Kern Lima Show” on Thursday, August 15, to reveal her truth.
The sister of DWTS judge Derek Hough, grew up taking care of her mother, who displayed “manic behaviors,” while her father worked and her siblings were at school. In this role, she lacked a voice for herself and described the period as “confusing.”
Julianne shared while growing up in Utah, her “first experience” with sexual abuse occured when she was “about 4 years old.” She added that the perpetrator was a “neighbor.”
Unfortunately, she unveiled, “There was not a lot of repercussion for what had happened – and by the way, I’m not the only one in my family who went through similar things. It was very challenging to come to terms with. Nobody did anything.”
Her parents, Marriann and Bruce, felt “guilty” and were “in a position of not feeling capable and also feeling helpless.” Julianne did not reveal the abuse until she was 15, and this was the first time she had addressed it publicly in an interview.
