Julianne Hough'S Journey From Overdraft Fees To Dance Floor Fame

Julianne Hough's Humble Beginnings in L.A.

Julianne Hough is peeling back the curtain on her early days in Los Angeles, long before her dazzling performances on 'Dancing with the Stars' made her a household name. "I grew up in Utah. I'm the baby of five and actually became the youngest and only American to ever win the World Championship in ballroom and Latin dancing," Hough, 37, shared in a candid Instagram video on September 20. "At 15 years old, I was like, dance is not the only thing for me. I want to be an actress. I want to be a singer. I want to go to Hollywood."

With dreams bigger than the Utah skies, Hough packed her bags for L.A., landing in an apartment with several models. The experience was "really fun," she noted. "They would wake up at four o'clock in the afternoon and get $12,000 checks in the mail while I was getting $33 overdraft fees and hustling my butt off." Hough's determination was palpable as she chased every audition, eager to make her mark.

From Financial Struggles to 'Dancing' Stardom

But life in the City of Angels wasn't all glitz and glamour. Just six months in, Hough hit a financial snag and couldn't afford her rent. "I was like, 'What am I gonna do?'" she recalled. Fortunately, her ballroom and Latin dance expertise caught the attention of 'Dancing with the Stars' producers. "They asked me if I would be a dancer on the actual TV show," she said. "I was like, okay, I'll do it." Her decision paid off as she won her first two seasons back-to-back, setting her career on a meteoric rise.

Hough's success on the dance floor led to a record deal and a starring role alongside Tom Cruise in 2012's 'Rock of Ages.' "I felt like the stars were aligned," she said, reflecting on her whirlwind journey.

Navigating Personal Turmoil

While her professional life soared, Hough's personal life faced turbulence. "My dogs were killed by coyotes. My marriage started unraveling, but my career, my friend group, everything I had known really started taking a different shape," Hough revealed. It was a dark time, but she found solace in self-care and nurturing friendships.

"You can't rush feeling, you can't rush the timeframe that you need to go through to learn a lesson," she said. "I poured my energy into things that brought me joy." Hough emphasized the power of serving others to combat loneliness, stating, "The minute you feel isolated or lonely, the minute you can think about serving someone else, it brings you so much joy."

Julianne Hough has indeed come a long way from those early days in L.A. Now, she's set to cohost 'Dancing with the Stars' Season 32 alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, proving that dedication and a little bit of stardust can truly transform a life.