Julianne Hough Looks Back on Her Sexual Identity 5 Years After Coming Out as ‘Not Straight’ – Hollywood Life
Julianne Hough is sharing her experience of coming out.
“Coming out is one of the most vulnerable and empowering things that you can do,” the Dancing with the Stars co-host said in an interview on the Aug. 27 episode of The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast. She provided fans with an update on her sexuality nearly five years after initially sharing that she was “not straight.”
“I think, for me, it was more about learning what love is rather than defining myself as straight, gay, bi, or queer. I love people, and although I don’t know what I’m attracted to, I choose you.”
“I started to see people for who they are, their hearts, beauty, and essence, which made me realize how much I love people. I may not understand if it’s sexual attraction or another type of connection, but I simply see people. And that realization was so beautiful.”
In a Women’s Health interview back in 2019, the 36-year-old mentioned a conversation with her then-husband, Canadian ice hockey player Brooks Laich, where she disclosed, “You know I’m not straight, right?”
“And he was surprised, saying, ‘I’m sorry, what?’ And I replied, ‘I’m not. But I choose to be with you,’” Hough recalled.
“With my husband, there’s a sense of safety now as I navigate through all of this. I can voice things I’ve been afraid to admit or felt guilty about due to societal norms or how I was raised,” she added.
Hough, who tied the knot with Laich in 2017 and finalized their divorce in 2022, mentioned in the same Aug. 27 interview that their marriage was “the best thing for me at that time.”
“At that time, I needed to reconnect with my 10-year-old self. At 10, I needed safety and almost a father figure for stability. A lot of our relationship was centered around a young girl seeking stability from a strong man. He provided a solid foundation for me to be that young girl.”
However, as Hough underwent healing and growth, she realized they needed different things.
“I began to shift, change, and question my beliefs.”