Us Weekly Mobile - Celebrity News - Julianne Hough: Childhood Abuse "Sucked the Life Out of Me"

January 3, 2013

While promoting her new film Safe Haven, Julianne Hough** is opening up about how she personally relates to her character's history of abuse in the film.

After revealing in the February issue of Cosmopolitan magazine that she was the victim of child abuse, the 24-year-old actress tells ET Online she had to work hard to break free of her dark past.

"I've been through certain things that have sucked the life out of me . . . just the light about me was gone. I was just a dark person," she explains. "So I had to leave that situation and kind of come into my own again and I did."

Hough's character, Katie, in the film adaptation of Nicholas Spark's bestselling book, falls in love with a widower after escaping a abusive ex-boyfriend. "Being Katie, I relate a lot to her," she tells ET Online. "The fact that she had been in one situation that just sucked the life out of her, and it was a bad situation. She needed to change and move on and kind of find her own again. And through that you find love and everything."

The former Dancing With the Stars pro, who has been dating Ryan Seacrest** for over two years, told Cosmopolitan magazine she was "abused, mentally, physically, everything" while studying dance at London's Italia Conti Academy of the Arts.

"I was 10 years old looking like I was 28, being a very sensual dancer," Hough explained. "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. I wanted so much love."

But she doesn't want to dwell on her past, dark life.

"I'm a very forgiving person, and I don't want to hurt anybody," she said. "What's past is past."

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Julianne Hough: Childhood Abuse "Sucked the Life Out of Me"

**This content is not available on the mobile site. Click here to view it on the website.

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Wow, Mr Sinister, relax. I know that already, and she already opened the door by naming the school (ot maybe the press named the school, I don't give a crap). Bottom line, they are already potentially having to do damage control when/if this gets back to them. I still say she's not being specific enough. She could very easily (without naming names) say it was a student or instructor and what the outcome was. And if it is an instructor and they are still there it is her moral duty to at least go to the administrators now and tell them. She doesn't need a press release or fanfare to do that. What's with all the exclamation points, btw? Good grief.

Posted by Salem January 4, 2013, 5:21 pm

@fly by night...haha at your 'seen a ghost' part of your comment. That made me smile. As for people who were abused and never came forward or mentioned names, it happens all the time. There is a statue of limitation on abuse, and nothing could be done now anyway. Maybe it was a fellow pupil, a bully? Who knows. But sometimes it's easier to put it to the back of your mind and forget. Maybe the fact she's playing a role has brought it all back to her now? Maybe it's not a publicity stunt. I think it's safe to say that the majority of females of my generation (ages 20-50) have suffered some form of abuse. Child abuse, daterape, or other form of being taken advantage of. As for asking for it due to the way you're dressed, well that's absurd! While I agree that people SHOULD go to police and tell them what's happened, it's comments like 'what were you wearing' that put people off. Not to mention as victims, people feel they did something wrong. It shouldn't be that way, but it is. It's so difficult to go through your ordeal to police, then to lawyers and then again in court with the people right there in front of you. It's like being abused all over again. I have the highest regard and respect for ANYONE who has the courage to face their attacker, but I also understand why so many people don't. Maybe you have to be in that position before you can truly understand, and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Posted by Newbie January 4, 2013, 4:14 pm

It seems like every other celebrity has either been abused or seen a ghost.

Posted by Fly by night January 4, 2013, 3:23 pm

Thornrust.... I was hoping I misread your post..Yet..there it is. im not even sure if there are words or even a reason to respond to your ridiculous 'statement.' To imply that any human remotely deserves to be abused depending on their clothing is so far beyond comprehension.. WHO ARE YOU..?! So disgusting and insulting.no one has any right to abuse or be abused for ANY reason. Repulsive.time to crawl back into the caveman days and stay there.

Posted by julzz January 4, 2013, 1:14 pm

That is so true Sugar a lot of people dont get to enjoy their childhood thru adulthood either. She is lucky she gets 2 enjoy her, now stable, 24 yr old life.

Posted by **CHERRY BOMB** January 4, 2013, 11:33 am

I feel horrible for people that have been abused but i find this article strange. She was in an interview while filming footloose and said she enjoyed her childhood and not many get the chance to do the things she and her bro got to. Its a shame if she is saying these things to promote a movie. Shes not that great of an actress and footloose sucked!

Posted by Sugar Britches January 4, 2013, 11:24 am

Someone may get something out of her story. Its her story, her trauma, her life nobody can tell her not to tell it. If she hasnt had any therapy she may not B ready 2 name names. This may B her 1st step toward real recovery.

Posted by **CHERRY BOMB** January 4, 2013, 5:13 am

I'm sorry,but I'll have to side with the bloggers on this site who stated the obvious:If Hough simply wants to forgive and forget,tonot hurt anyone,in short to simply let her abusers get off scott-free to go on and abuse who knows how many other young girls,then what exactly was the point in telling this bizarre story? I simply cannot and will not sympathize with her at this point;what did she tell her devout Mormon parents,if anything? Frankly this entire tale is very,very strange,and given the brutal **** and murder of that unfortunate young woman in India,Hough has an obligation to step up and call her abusers to account,otherwise shut up and keep this story to yourself,because no one is being helped by it;it's just a suspect tale of whining self-pity!!

Posted by Athanasius January 4, 2013, 12:51 am

Thank god she pulled through.

Posted by Hanbanan January 3, 2013, 11:58 pm

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