Julianne Hough, the Dancing with the Stars co-host known for her direct commentary and toned physique, surprised her followers by posting a provocative striptease last Wednesday (October 16) while getting ready for the show.
The judge, who has made it a habit to upload videos of herself in various states of undress, sparked debate among her followers, with one side supporting her videos and the other expressing frustration over what they believed to be attention-seeking behavior.
“You must be a very insecure woman,” one viewer wrote. “It’s getting cringey at this point. You don’t need to show us your underwear all the time.”
“I love that you keep posting your videos despite so many hateful comments!” another replied.
Julianne Hough sparked debate among her followers by performing a striptease routine down to her underwear while preparing for episode 5 of Dancing with the Stars
The dancer was forced to defend her uploads last month after filming herself in a sauna, looking noticeably thin, with the contour of her ribcage visible under her skin while wearing a blue LED anti-aging mask.
The post divided her audience once again, with one side labeling the clip as “bizarre,” as the host thrust her hips in a suggestive manner while wearing the strange-looking mask.
“I don’t usually address comments like this but I’m going to say a few things about this video,” Hough replied. “I’ve never been healthier or happier from the inside out.”
Hough went on to address comments labeling her behavior as “erratic” and “attention-seeking,” explaining that such videos serve as an outlet for releasing negative emotions and are not intended to be sexual in nature.
“Grief, loss. Sadness and fear also get stored in the body and we hold on to that in different ways. I made it a huge priority to accept, express, process and release a lot of emotions over the years,” she wrote at the time.
Her latest “striptease” video showcases such playfulness, changing from a black dress and high-heeled red latex boots into an elegant, olive-colored gala outfit. The dancer removes her bra at one point, teasing the audience with her bare back before tossing it above her head.
Hough has been a mainstay on Dancing with the Stars since 2007, returning to host season 33 of the show alongside Alfonso Ribeiro
Julianne Hough made her debut on the famous dance competition series as a professional dancer in its fourth season back in 2007. The then 18-year-old delighted judges and audiences alike, going on to become a fixture of the production for most of its run.
As a judge, she has served as both a guest and a permanent member of the panel for more than 5 seasons, capturing the public’s attention for her honest, sometimes rough commentary when scoring participants.
“You can always count on me to tell the truth,” she said in an interview. “It’s not because I want to be harsh, it’s all about helping whoever the dancer is to be better for next week.”
For season 33 of the show, Hough returns as a host alongside actor and comedian Alfonso Ribeiro, famous for his portrayal of Carlton Banks on NBC’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and for his iconic appearance on season 19 of Dancing with the Stars, where he reprised a dancing move made famous by his sitcom character.
The dancer defended her choice to showcase her body, explaining that she feels safe and happy in her own skin
Hough did not remain oblivious to the negative attention the videos of her body generated but remained firm in her decision to continue uploading them, reassuring viewers that she was simply showing her most authentic self.
“My goofy side is a reflection of how safe I feel in my own skin,” she noted. “I saw somewhere that when kids are the most playful and weird versions of themselves it means they are the safest to do so,” the dancer explained.
While most of her viewers were appeased by her explanation, others remained firm in their belief that the dancer’s continual attempts to showcase her body in underwear hint at a deeper issue with body image.
“I was very self-accepting growing up, then something switched in middle school,” Hough confessed to Redbook Magazine in 2017. “I would compare myself to everyone and later I did a film where I basically was told I was fat every day, yet I was the skinniest I’d ever been.”
The host explained how she developed her attitude as a coping mechanism to deal with the pressures of being a celebrity, defaulting to acting “completely crazy or goofy” in an attempt to recapture the freedom she felt as a kid “before all of that happened.”
While most of the comments on her social media are from delighted fans, some neutral netizens expressed concern about the constant videos of the dancer “flaunting” her body
“Somebody, please help her. Next she’ll be twirling like Britney. She has a career and gets a lot of attention already. What is happening to her?” asked one concerned viewer.
“You’d think someone as attractive as her would already be getting enough attention from men. There’s no need for this,” another pointed out.
“Why is she so desperate for attention lately? Did something terrible happen in her personal life?” a viewer asked.
“It’s time to set up an Only Fans,” another wrote.
On the other hand, her followers jumped to her defense, stating that as a dancer, her body is what she uses to communicate and work, and that the criticism is being blown out of proportion.
“So many women are putting down another woman for her choice of displaying her body on social media! Leave Julianne Hough alone!”
“What happened to her?” wrote one viewer, as others joined in to share their thoughts on the dancer’s videos
