The tormented childhood behind this stars glittering career – Story Of The Day!

As she entered adolescence, the complexity of her life shifted from the suburbs of Utah to the global stage of ballroom dance. At age ten, as her parents navigated a bitter divorce, Julianne was sent across the Atlantic to London. There, she enrolled in the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, living with family friends. While her peers were navigating the fifth grade, Julianne was navigating the London Underground alone at 6:45 AM, often getting lost at train stations and feeling the immense pressure of the adult world.

In London, the abuse shifted from the physical to the systemic. Away from the protection of her parents, she described being abused “mentally, physically, everything” by those in the competitive dance circuit. Because the culture of dance often prioritizes aesthetic over age-appropriateness, a ten-year-old Julianne was transformed into a performer who looked like she was twenty-eight. She was a “sensual dancer” with a face full of heavy makeup, performing sophisticated routines while her heart remained that of an innocent little girl. Looking back, she finds it heartbreaking that there are no photos of her from that era with a natural, ten-year-old face. She was a tormented child trapped in a “sexy facade” because that was her job and her life.

When she eventually returned to the United States to attend high school in Las Vegas and Utah, the trauma of her European years didn’t vanish; it manifested as a social barrier. Her peers, seeing her professional background and polished exterior, viewed her as arrogant. She was the “new kid” who didn’t know how to relate to teenagers who hadn’t lived her life. The bullying was severe, reaching a cruel peak when a boy asked her to prom only to ditch her on the day of the dance as a prank orchestrated by other girls.

Yet, Julianne’s resilience proved to be her most potent weapon. By fifteen, she was dominating international dance competitions, and her talent soon caught the eye of Hollywood. She made a brief appearance in the first Harry Potter film before her career skyrocketed on Dancing with the Stars. She transitioned from professional dancer to judge, and then into a leading lady in films like Footloose, Rock of Ages, and Safe Haven. She became the quintessential American sweetheart, even as she privately battled anxiety, depression, and the physical agony of endometriosis.

Her public life has not been without its own set of trials. From her high-profile relationship with Ryan Seacrest to her marriage and eventual divorce from NHL player Brooks Laich, her personal choices have been dissected by the tabloids. She has faced body-shaming and was once the center of a major controversy over an insensitive Halloween costume. However, Julianne has consistently chosen a path of radical accountability. She apologized for her mistakes and used her platform to speak out about women’s health issues, particularly endometriosis, which she was diagnosed with at twenty. She froze her eggs as a precautionary measure for her future, de-layering the “shame and guilt” she associated with the disease.

One of the most profound chapters of her journey occurred during the vulnerable period following her divorce. As she stripped away the “private planes and yachts” lifestyle of her high-profile relationship, she found herself reconnecting with her parents. For the first time, she allowed herself to “be the kid.” This vulnerability opened a channel for communication that had been blocked since her childhood. Her parents expressed the guilt they felt for not being able to protect her or support her during her teenage years in London. This period of raw, honest communication as adults became the most healing time of her life, allowing the family to navigate the aftermath of the past as a unit rather than as individuals in silos of silence.