Julianne Hough Recalls Being Fat-Shamed ‘Every Day’ on the Set of a Film

As a “Dancing with the Stars” veteran, Julianne Hough is constantly looked to for her advice on fitness and health living. But the 29-year-old dancer wasn’t always as in-tune with her body as she is now.

Hough opened up about her journey to body acceptance in an interview with Redbook, in which she revealed that she wasn’t self-conscious about her body until a fat-shaming experience in middle school that caused long-lasting insecurities. “I was very self-accepting growing up, then something switched in middle school,” Hough said. “I would compare myself to everyone.”

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Hough’s self-esteem reached an all-time low when she was cast in a film in middle school where she was called “fat” every day, despite being the thinnest she ever was. “Later I did a film where I basically was told I was fat every day, yet I was the skinniest I’d ever been,” she said.

Though the experience had long-lasting effects on Hough’s perception of body image, she’s learned to shake off the insecurities by reminding herself of her mindset when she didn’t think about her figure.

“Now, when I’m self-conscious, I’ll do something completely crazy or goofy to get out of my own head—something fun that reminds me of the freedom I felt as a kid before all that happened,” she said.

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Hough’s story is a reminder that no matter who you are or what you look like, everyone has insecurities with their body. Kudos to Hough for reminding us to embrace our bodies the way they are.