Julianne Hough, a prominent figure in the Dancing With the Stars franchise, recently disclosed a harrowing medical emergency she endured during a live broadcast of the popular show.
In a heartfelt Instagram post commemorating the 20th anniversary of the series, the dancer revealed that she experienced a cyst rupture while performing on live TV.
Hough, who joined DWTS at only 18 years old, reflected on her journey, stating, “I ended up winning my first two seasons, had a cyst burst on live TV (yep, that happened).” Although ovarian cysts can be common among women, “a ruptured (or burst) ovarian cyst can cause sudden pain in your pelvic area. The pain is usually sharp,” according to Healthline.
Despite the intense pain associated with such an occurrence, though, she continued her performance without missing a beat.
The pro dancer continued to look back at her path in the social media post, describing the “incredibly magical, unpredictable and emotional” journey. “It’s not just about dancing, it’s about courage,” she expressed. “It’s about what happens when you put yourself out there live and exposed in front of the world but held with so much care. We’ve all been changed by it.”
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The 36-year-old’s brother, Derek Hough—who’s now a judge on the show after dancing, himself, from 2007 to 2016—praised her resilience, commenting on her post, “Winning your first 2 seasons back to back at 18 yrs old is a serious flex.”
The transparent revelation sheds light on Julianne’s ongoing health struggles, particularly her battle with endometriosis—a reproductive condition in which uterine tissue grows outside of the uterus, causing cramping and chronic pain—which she publicly opened up about in a May 2020 Women’s Health cover story. In it, she emphasized the importance of self-care and emotional healing in managing her symptoms.
“I will tell you, through this transformation of really connecting back to my truth, I haven’t had symptoms of endometriosis because of the love and kindness I’m giving to my body,” Hough, who founded dance-based fitness program, KINRGY, told the publication at the time. “I believe there’s stress, shame, guilt, and suppression of female energy that’s associated with endometriosis, so de-layering that has really helped.”
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