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If you’ve spent any time on the internet over the last few years, you’ve probably seen the headlines. They’re usually some variation of "Julianne Hough comes out" or "Wait, is Julianne Hough gay?" It’s one of those celebrity stories that never quite goes away because the answer isn't a simple yes or no. Honestly, people love a label, and Julianne has spent the better part of the last decade politely declining to give them one.
She isn't hiding. She just isn't checking a specific box.
The whole conversation really exploded back in 2019. Julianne was on the cover of Women’s Health for their "Naked Strength" issue—which, yeah, she was literally naked on the cover—but the "naked" part was also about her personal life. She dropped a bit of a bombshell about a conversation she had with her then-husband, NHL player Brooks Laich. She told him, point-blank, "You know I’m not straight, right?"
His response was basically what you’d expect: "I’m sorry, what?"
The "Not Straight" Revelation
When we talk about is Julianne Hough gay, we have to look at the specific language she uses. She has never actually used the word "gay" to describe herself. She hasn't used "bisexual" either. Instead, she’s leaned into the phrase "not straight."
For a lot of people, that’s confusing. We’re used to celebrities picking a team and sticking to it. But Julianne explained that her realization came after a "massive transformation." She was doing a lot of deep work—energy work, dance, unpacking childhood trauma—and realized that the way she’d been presenting herself to the world wasn't the whole truth.
"I was connecting to the woman inside that doesn’t need anything, versus the little girl that looked to him to protect me," she told Women's Health.
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She told Brooks that while she wasn't straight, she was still choosing to be with him. It was about her soul, not just her hardware. At the time, she said the honesty actually made their relationship more intimate. Of course, we know now that they eventually split in 2020 and finalized their divorce in 2022, but she’s been very clear that the breakup wasn't because of her sexuality. It was more about them growing into different people.
Fluidity in 2026: No Labels, No Problem
Fast forward to now. In late 2024 and throughout 2025, Julianne has doubled down on this idea of fluidity. During an appearance on the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast, she reflected on that 2019 moment and how it feels five years later.
She basically said that coming out is one of the most vulnerable things you can do, but for her, it’s not about being gay, straight, bi, or queer. She told the host that she’s just learning what love is. She loves people. She looks at someone’s heart, their beauty, and their "essence" rather than their gender.
It’s a very "post-label" way of living. Some people call it pansexual. Others call it queer. Julianne just calls it being Julianne.
Why the confusion persists
The reason the question "is Julianne Hough gay?" keeps trending is because her dating history is exclusively public with men. You’ve got:
- Ryan Seacrest: They were the "it" couple for three years back in the early 2010s.
- Brooks Laich: Her former husband.
- Chuck Wicks: Her Dancing With the Stars partner turned boyfriend.
- Zack Wilson: She was actually engaged to him when she was just 18.
Because she hasn't had a high-profile relationship with a woman, the public tends to default back to "straight" and then gets surprised all over again whenever she mentions her fluidity. It’s a bit of a cycle. She says she’s not straight, the internet freaks out, she dates a guy (or stays single), and everyone forgets until she does another interview.
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Growing Up in the Spotlight
You can't really talk about Julianne’s identity without talking about her upbringing. She grew up in a very strict Mormon household in Utah. That kind of environment doesn't exactly leave a lot of room for exploring "not straight" feelings.
She’s spoken about how she suppressed parts of herself for 25 years. When you grow up in a world where everything is binary—good or bad, right or wrong, male or female—breaking out of that is messy. It’s not a clean "coming out" story like you see in a movie. It’s more like a slow unpeeling of an onion.
She’s also mentioned that her marriage to Brooks was actually what she "needed" at the time because he provided a sense of safety that she never had as a kid. He was a grounding force. Once she felt safe, that’s when the deeper truths started bubbling up to the surface. It’s kind of a psychological pivot; you can only explore who you are once you stop worrying about how to survive.
What This Means for Her Career
In the past, a star of Julianne’s caliber might have been terrified that coming out—even vaguely—would kill their career. Think about it: she’s a Dancing With the Stars legend, a country singer, and a judge on America's Got Talent. Her fanbase is broad, including a lot of "Middle America."
But the reaction has been surprisingly chill. Her brother, Derek Hough, has been her biggest cheerleader. When she first came out as "not straight," he posted on Instagram about how proud he was of her for shedding "protective walls."
In 2026, the industry is different. Being fluid or "not straight" doesn't carry the same stigma it did even ten years ago. If anything, it’s made her more relatable to a younger generation that views gender and sexuality as a spectrum rather than a toggle switch.
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Is Julianne Hough Gay? The Reality
To answer the question directly: Julianne Hough does not identify as gay. She also does not identify as straight.
She identifies as someone who is attracted to people based on their energy and soul. If she falls in love with a woman tomorrow, it fits her truth. If she marries another man, that also fits her truth.
It’s a bit of a "choose your own adventure" approach to romance. She’s currently 37 and seems more focused on her "Kinrgy" fitness platform and her hosting duties than on defining her dating life for the paparazzi. She’s reached a point where she’s fine with people being confused.
Honestly, that’s the most "expert" insight you can get on this: she isn't looking for your approval or your label. She’s just living.
What to take away from this
If you're looking for a definitive "yes" or "no" for your office betting pool, you're not going to get it. But you can look at her journey as a blueprint for modern identity.
- Labels are optional. You don't have to pick a word just because people are asking for one.
- Safety matters. Self-discovery usually happens when you feel secure in your environment.
- Evolution is constant. What Julianne said in 2019 was her truth then, and what she says in 2026 is her truth now. They don't have to be identical to be valid.
If you’re following Julianne’s journey to understand your own or just because you’re a fan, the best thing to do is listen to her own words in her recent podcast appearances. She’s doing the talking so we don’t have to do the guessing.
Next time someone asks "is Julianne Hough gay," you can tell them it’s more complicated than that. She’s just Julianne. And that seems to be exactly how she likes it.