Julianne Hough, actress and former “Dancing with the Stars” pro shared what it was like to be a child dancer in London, a story which included revelations of abuse according to People on Jan. 2.
Julianne is the sister of Derek Hough and friend of Mark Ballas, both still pro dancers with ‘DWTS.’ She and Derek moved to London in 1999 to study with the Ballas family while their parents were divorcing. Later, she transferred to the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Arts. It was here that the actress says she was "abused mentally, physically, everything."
In the interview, Hough told Cosmopolitan magazine that she was a very mature 10-year-old, “looking like I was 28.” She felt tormented about having this sensual body and style of dance when she was really just a little girl but she felt it was her job to be that sexy dancer. Inside, she was simply an innocent little girl who craved love.
Of the abuser she said, "I'm a very forgiving person, and I don't want to hurt anybody. What's past is past."
The country music singer described how fear was used to control her.
"I was told if I ever went back to the United States, three things were going to happen. One: I was going to amount to nothing. Two: I was going to work at Whataburger. And three: I was going to end up a slut. So it was like 'I can't go back, I have to be this person.'"
Hough found the courage to change her situation after attending an inspirational concert. She left two days later and never returned.
Julianne used some of that emotional history in her performance in the upcoming movie “Safe Haven.” The movie, costars Josh Duhamel, focuses on a girl who survives an abusive ex-boyfriend and learns to accept love from a widower. She said one particularly difficult scene had her waffling between crying and laughing and was probably one of the most therapeutic moments of her life. “Safe Haven” opens Feb. 14.
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