Julieanne Hough publicly discussed her sexuality for the first time in an interview with Women’s Health.
The “America’s Got Talent” and “Dancing with the Stars” judge posed nude on the cover of Women’s Health’s “Naked Strength” issue and got candid about when she came out as “not straight” to her husband, hockey player Brooks Laich.
“I [told Brooks], ‘You know I’m not straight, right?’” the 31-year-old told Women’s Health. “And he was like, ‘I’m sorry, what?’ I was like, ‘I’m not. But I choose to be with you.’”
Hough and her brother Derek, who is also a professional dancer, grew up in a strict Mormon community. She explains that her upbringing contributed to her understanding of her sexuality.
“I think there’s a safety with my husband now that I’m unpacking all of this,” Hough says. “And there’s no fear of voicing things that I’ve been afraid to admit or that I’ve had shame or guilt about because of what I’ve been told or how I was raised.”
Hough says she worried about Laich accepting her for being her “authentic self.”
“I was connecting to the woman inside that doesn’t need anything, versus the little girl that looked to him to protect me. I was like ‘Is he going to love this version of me?’ But the more I dropped into my most authentic self, the more attracted he was to me. Now we have a more intimate relationship,” Hough says.
⚡️@juliannehough is the star of WH’s Naked Strength issue! ⚡️ The #AGT judge has been on an epic journey of self-discovery this year, stripping down and learning new truths about herself. Full cover story: https://t.co/7nRzPZR7vD pic.twitter.com/pqv5NBp4jB
— Women's Health (@WomensHealthMag) August 1, 2019
Story courtesy of the Washington Blade.