Julianne Hough has learned that the best way to overcome body shaming and self-consciousness is by finding a way to get out of her own head.
The dancer and actress recalls a shift in middle school from being accepting of her body to becoming more self-conscious, which was only worsened when she was repeatedly called fat while on set for a film, Hough told Redbook Magazine in an interview. "I did a film where I basically was told I was fat every day, yet I was the skinniest I’d ever been," she revealed.
Her struggle to feel confident with her own appearance is a relatable one. The former Dancing With The Stars star explained how her husband, professional hockey player Brooks Laich, reminded her to focus on the positive when they first started dating. "We would take a picture, he would show it to me and I’d be like, 'Oh, God, let’s take it again.' He once said, 'Every time you look at a photo, you put it down right away instead of seeing the good in it.' So now when I see a picture, even if I don’t like it, I try to find something positive."
While there is no excuse for what happened to her on set, Hough has since found her way of shaking off negative comments whether they be from other people or the ones she thinks to herself. "Now, when I’m self-conscious, I’ll do something completely crazy or goofy to get out of my own head," she explains. "Something fun that reminds me of the freedom I felt as a kid before all that happened."
As a professional dancer, Hough often takes on roles that are physically demanding. She is portraying body builder and pioneer fitness expert, Betty Brosmer, co-founder of Shape Magazine, in the upcoming film Bigger. In order to prepare for the role, Hough switched up her fitness routine to include much more weight lifting than before. As someone who advocates for body positivity and overall health, Hough seems like a perfect fit for Brosmer, who built her career on doing the same.