"We’ve all been changed by it" - Julianne Hough opens up about having a ruptured cyst on live TV

Actress and dancer Julianne Hough is looking back on her time with the celebrity dance show, Dancing With the Stars. While commemorating the 20th anniversary of the dance show with which she started her career in reality television, Hough wrote on Instagram,

“It’s been an incredibly magical, unpredictable and emotional journey for anyone who has been a part of DWTS and that’s what makes it so special. It’s not just about dancing, it’s about courage. 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.”

Alongside her note, Hough also shared anecdotes from the filming of the show. Hough revealed that her cyst ruptured on television, unbeknownst to the public. Hough stated that she:

“had a cyst burst on live TV (yep, that happened)”

About Julianne Hough’s health struggles while on Dancing With the Stars

Julianne Hough, who has won Dancing With the Stars twice, has struggled with endometriosis, which, according to Mayo Clinic, impacts the reproductive system as uterine tissue begins growing outside the uterus.

Hough even had a surgery in 2008 in relation to her endometriosis diagnosis. At the time, Ok Magazine reported that Hough wrote an update on her health on her blog, sharing,

“My surgery was good. It was scary. It was supposed to take an hour but took 45 minutes longer. It was a good thing I went in because not only did I have the endometriosis things that needed to be lasered off, but I had a cyst on an ovary and scarred tissue from my appendix that had connected to my right hip. But everything went well and I feel great. I feel like I have more energy than I did a few weeks ago”

Back then, Hough recovered and was eager to return to the reality dance show, and added,

"Just so you know, I'm up and back and sick of sitting on the couch. I just did my radio phoners and I'm going to see Cody Linley right now. We're going to practice today for about half an hour with Len in his master class.”

Hough and her celebrity partner for DWTS Season 7, Cody Linley, finished in the fourth spot that year.

According to ABC News, while Hough had her appendix removed at the time as a consequence of endometriosis, it remains unclear if this was before or after her cyst ruptured on live TV.

Julianne Hough on being open about struggling with endometriosis

Julianne Hough’s candidness when it comes to her health issues is motivated by an impulse to increase awareness around a disease that frequently gets swept under the rug. During a conversation with Redbook Magazine, Hough once said that it’s important for her to be open about her health. She stated,

“It’s been super-empowering to get messages from women all over the world that are like, ‘Oh, my gosh! I didn’t realize that this was anything, but I got checked, and I have endometriosis.’”

Continuing, she said,

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“When I found out I had a disease, I knew I had to speak out about it. Women deserve to feel heard, accepted, and supported, even if the topic makes some people uncomfortable.”

Hough also revealed that she was adversely impacted by the medical community’s tendency not to treat women’s medical issues with more sensitivity and attention. She shared that doctors’ initial dismissal of her pain motivated her to use her platform to spread awareness about the disease.

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