You probably know the drill. You turn on the TV and there they are: Julianne and Derek Hough, the golden duo of ballroom dance, basically ruling the Dancing with the Stars universe for the better part of two decades. They’re talented, they’re blonde, and they seem to have this uncanny, almost telepathic connection on the dance floor. But honestly? They aren't the only ones in the family with those genes.
There are actually five of them.
While Julianne and Derek were off becoming household names, their three older sisters—Sharee, Marabeth, and Katherine—were living entirely different lives. And if you think it was all sunshine and red carpets for the whole crew, it really wasn't. Growing up in a strict Mormon household in Utah and then seeing the family split right down the middle while the two youngest kids were shipped off to London? That leaves a mark.
Who Are Julianne Hough’s Siblings?
Basically, the Hough family tree is a lot more crowded than people realize. Before Julianne was even a thought, her parents, Marianne and Bruce Hough, already had a full house in Sandy, Utah.
The sibling lineup looks like this:
- Sharee Hough Selman: The eldest.
- Marabeth Poole: The second oldest.
- Katherine Hough: The middle child of the sisters.
- Derek Hough: The only boy.
- Julianne Hough: The baby of the family.
They weren't just a regular family, either. They were essentially the "blonde Osmonds" of their local community. They had a family band called White Lightning, and they spent their childhoods touring Utah, singing and dancing. All five of them had the talent. All five of them had the drive. But as Julianne recently opened up about on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, the paths they took couldn't have been more different.
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The Great Divide: London vs. Utah
The turning point for the family happened in 1998. It’s a pretty heavy story. While their parents were going through a messy divorce, the family decided to send 13-year-old Derek and 10-year-old Julianne to London. They went to live with Corky and Shirley Ballas to train at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts.
Think about that for a second.
You’re ten years old, your parents are splitting up, and you’re sent across the ocean to live with coaches who are notoriously tough. Julianne has been very vocal about the fact that she faced mental and physical abuse during those years. Meanwhile, the three older sisters stayed behind in the States. They were just old enough to start their own lives—Sharee got married at 19 and started a family—but they missed out on that "stardom" trajectory that the two youngest were essentially forced into.
The "Quiet Sadness" of the Older Sisters
Recently, Julianne dropped a bit of a bombshell about the family dynamic. She admitted there was a "quiet sadness" that lingered for years because the sisters didn't feel included in the fame.
It wasn't jealousy. Not exactly. It was more about the missed opportunities.
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Imagine watching your younger siblings travel the world and win Emmys while you're working a 9-to-5 or raising kids. Marabeth actually moved to Nashville when she was 18 to try and make it as a country singer. Katherine wanted to be an actress. They had the same dreams, but for whatever reason—timing, luck, or just the way the family fractured—it didn't happen for them on that scale.
What Do They Do Now?
They’ve all carved out pretty impressive lives away from the cameras, though.
- Sharee Hough Selman is a mother of six and a grandmother. She’s stayed close to her roots in fitness, running her own company called Hough Werks, where she teaches yoga and strength training.
- Marabeth Poole eventually pivoted from music to real estate. She’s actually a top-tier realtor in Nashville now and a holistic health coach. Fun fact: she and Julianne look so much alike that Life & Style magazine once accidentally used a photo of Marabeth in a story about Julianne.
- Katherine Hough followed a path into the aesthetic world. She’s a master esthetician and has her own skincare business.
The Rift Between Julianne and Derek
You’d think being the only two who "made it" would make Julianne and Derek inseparable. And for a long time, they were. But fame is weird. It creates this weird competitive bubble.
Julianne has admitted that they’ve had their fair share of "bad blood." There were rumors that they were at odds because of their careers—especially when Julianne landed the hosting gig on Dancing with the Stars. There was also some tension because Derek stayed friends with Julianne's ex-husband, Brooks Laich, after their divorce.
It took a literal life-and-death situation to snap them out of it.
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When Derek’s wife, Hayley Erbert, had a medical emergency in late 2023 (a cranial hematoma that required multiple surgeries), the petty stuff just evaporated. Julianne said it was a "clean slate." It’s kinda sad that it takes a crisis to fix things, but that’s family for you.
Why the Hough Family Dynamic Matters
Most of us look at celebrities and see the finished product. We see the trophies and the perfect hair. We don't see the kid who was sent to London at ten years old to "save" the family's legacy while her older sisters stayed home and felt left behind.
The Hough siblings are a classic case of what happens when fame enters a family unit unevenly. It creates a hierarchy that nobody asked for.
What you can take away from this:
- Acknowledge the "What Ifs": If you have a sibling who is wildly more successful than you (or vice versa), it’s okay to acknowledge the sadness of the path not taken. Honesty, like Julianne’s recent podcast comments, is usually the only way to bridge that gap.
- Trauma Bonds are Real: Julianne and Derek are close because they survived London together. The sisters are close because they survived the divorce in Utah together. Those are two different "teams" within one family.
- Crisis Re-prioritizes Everything: Don't wait for a medical emergency to clear the "clean slate." If there’s lingering resentment over career success or old family roles, address it now.
If you’re looking to understand the Houghs better, don’t just watch their old dance clips. Check out Marabeth’s real estate success or Sharee’s fitness journey. It gives you a much fuller picture of a family that, despite the Hollywood gloss, is actually pretty relatable in its messiness.
Actionable Next Step: If you're interested in the psychological side of sibling dynamics in high-pressure environments, look into the "Glass Child" phenomenon or birth order theory in large families. It sheds a lot of light on why the oldest sisters took such traditional paths while the youngest became the performers.