Julianne Hough shares childhood sexual abuse experience publicly for the first time

Julianne Hough, the 36-year-old actress and Dancing With the Stars co-host, has shared a traumatic experience of sexual abuse she suffered at the age of 4, perpetrated by a neighbor in her cul-de-sac. This is the first time she has spoken publicly about the incident. In an interview on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, Hough revealed that the experience was "very confusing" due to her upbringing in the Mormon culture, where "everything needs to be perfect."

Hough stated, "My first experience was when I was about 4 years old... I've actually never said that out loud to anybody in an interview before." She also mentioned that she wasn't the only one in her family to experience similar abuse, but it wasn't until recent years that she remembered the incident. Hough believes her parents felt "helpless" to address her allegations when she was younger, but they have since had meaningful conversations about her past.

Hough reflected on the process of losing her power through these experiences, saying, "I think being so young... those being your first experiences—whether it be physical, mental, sexual—those abuses of power to someone who is vulnerable to it, it immediately sets a precedent of, 'Other people have the power.'" She emphasized the importance of vulnerability, stating, "That's the lesson that I've learned in the last few years, which is with vulnerability comes strength."