Behind the sequins, the mirror balls, and the dazzling smiles that have defined their careers, Derek and Julianne Hough carry a story that is far from picture-perfect. In a rare and deeply emotional interview, the siblings — now household names thanks to Dancing with the Stars, Broadway, and sold-out tours — peeled back the curtain on their past.

They spoke not of triumphs first, but of trials: of growing up in a fractured family, of parents who struggled, and of the years of painful separation when they were sent overseas to pursue their training.

“It wasn’t easy,” Julianne admitted, her voice catching. “There were nights we cried ourselves to sleep. But in the middle of that pain, something inside us was being shaped — something we didn’t fully understand until much later.”

A Childhood in Pieces

The Hough children grew up in Utah, the youngest of five siblings in a home full of love but shadowed by instability. When their parents divorced, the foundation they knew cracked apart. At just 10 years old, Julianne left home with Derek, then 13, to train in London under the famed ballroom coaches Shirley and Corky Ballas.

The move was framed as an opportunity, but for two children it felt more like exile. Separated from their parents, unsure of their future, they relied on each other to survive. Derek has since described those years as “lonely” and “painful,” but also as the crucible that hardened their resilience.

Turning Pain into Power

Looking back now, Derek sees those hardships not just as scars, but as the bedrock of his artistry. “Every dance, every performance — it all comes from that place,” he reflected. “The emotion, the drive, the connection we feel with an audience… it’s rooted in the fact that we know what it feels like to be broken, and we know what it feels like to rise.”

Julianne echoed the sentiment. “When you’ve lived through the cracks, you learn how to let the light in,” she said. “Dance was our escape, but it also became our language for expressing everything we couldn’t say.”

Stardom Built on Resilience

That resilience carried them to extraordinary heights. Derek became the most decorated pro in Dancing with the Stars history, with six Mirrorball trophies. Julianne won two of her own, before expanding into a thriving career as a singer, actress, and judge. Together, they’ve headlined arena tours, choreographed for the world’s biggest stages, and inspired millions of fans with their artistry.

But both insist that their success means little without acknowledging where they came from. “People see the perfection,” Julianne said, gesturing to the polished routines and red-carpet appearances. “What they don’t always see is the pain that fueled it. We’re not ashamed of it anymore. We’re grateful for it.”

The Healing Journey

In recent years, the siblings have spoken more openly about mental health, personal struggles, and the importance of family healing. By sharing their story, they hope to show that hardship doesn’t have to define you negatively — it can be transformed into strength.

“We want people to know they’re not alone,” Derek said. “Yes, we’ve had success. But the truth is, we’re here because of the challenges, not in spite of them. Pain was the fire that forged who we are.”

A Story That Inspires

For fans who’ve followed Derek and Julianne’s glittering careers, this raw honesty adds a new layer of admiration. It reminds us that the most dazzling performances often come from the deepest places — that the beauty we see under the lights is often born in shadow.

Their story isn’t just about dance. It’s about resilience. It’s about family. And above all, it’s about the universal truth that struggle, when faced with courage, can become the very thing that makes you shine.

WATCH THEIR FULL INTERVIEW BELOW 👇👇👇