Apart from releasing her emotional and heartwarming Everything We Never Knew: A Novel on August 13, 2024, Emmy winner Julianne Hough simultaneously stole the spotlight during her appearances at podcasts. Trending on social media for bravely revealing her deeply personal traumatic experiences, Hough also highlighted her past relationships.
Throwing the spotlight specifically on talk show host Ryan Seacrest, Julianne Hough reflected on her romantic association with the star, while revealing the reason behind their unfortunate split. However, while Hough spoke about the inception of her romance with Seacrest, it surprisingly led fans to feel pity for her then-boyfriend Chuck Wicks.
Julianne Hough’s First Meeting with Ryan Seacrest was a Major Red Flag
Julianne Hough has captivated audiences not only with her latest novel, Everything We Never Knew: A Novel, but also with her candid discussions on various podcasts. However, among different topics, the Emmy winner’s recent revelations about her personal life and relationships are what took the internet by storm. Particularly her reflections on her past romance with talk show host Ryan Seacrest became the talk of Tinseltown.
Appearing on Dax Shepard’s podcast, on August 12, as Julianne Hough reflected on dating Ryan Seacrest from 2010 to 2013, fans were taken back to her 2012 interview with Glamour where the Dancing With the Stars host had initially opened up about the onset of her affair with Ryan Seacrest. Therein, Hough recounted an uncomfortable first meeting with Seacrest, which fans presumed unsettling due to Seacrest’s persistent flirtation.
According to Julianne Hough, she met Ryan Seacrest when she appeared for a radio interview alongside her then-boyfriend Chuck Wicks. Therein, the actress recalled her initial thoughts about Seacrest and her awkward encounter with him, as he constantly flirted with her ignoring Wicks’ presence. This revelation led to a surprising wave of sympathy for Chuck Wicks, as many listeners expressed pity for him since he had to sit through Seacrest’s subtle flirtations.
I had another boyfriend, Chuck Wicks, whom I met on Dancing With the Stars. While we were dating, we went on Ryan’s radio show together. The interview’s on YouTube, and I blush when I hear it because Ryan is hitting on me the entire time! At the end, Ryan said something like, “You guys really have something special!” And I thought to myself, He’s so full of s–t right now! When Chuck and I broke up, I wanted to be single. That lasted five months. Then Ryan and I went on a date.
Eventually, there’s no denying that Julianne Hough’s interactions with Ryan Seacrest potentially cast a shadow over her relationship with Chuck Wicks. But that’s how the actress initiated her romance with Ryan Seacrest in 2010. Thereafter, the couple went strong for a few years with their romance, when they kept gushing about each other during interviews from time to time. However, cupid’s charm wore off sooner than ever for the duo, as they split in 2013.
The Reason Behind Julianne Hough and Ryan Seacrest’s Amicable Split
Tracing back from her 2012 Glamour interview to her recent appearance on Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert, Julianne Hough opened up about her previous relationship with Ryan Seacrest, and shed light on the dynamics that led to their breakup. Despite previously gushing about Seacrest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show (via People), about how romantic he is and publicizing his romantic gestures, Hough admitted breaking up with the talk show host in March 2013.
He’s really romantic. He’s not even in town and I got in my car and there were flowers everywhere.
I’m so lucky that I have a great relationship. I’m very blessed and I don’t take anything for granted. I think if you alienate people and just focus on your work then it just becomes lonely and it’s not fun anymore. Hough told Parade.
According to Julianne Hough, she had an amicable split with Ryan Seacrest as she wanted to focus on her personal and professional growth. Explaining that part of the reason for their breakup was because she wanted to create a career for herself outside of the relationship, the Emmy winner explained that she didn’t feel like she had built a successful life for herself.
I remember when I decided to break things off. I had a lot of these Brentwood moms and producers in that world that were like, ‘What are you doing?’ And I was like, ‘What do you mean?’ They’re like, ‘Your life is completely set up’. Of course, I was like, ‘I need to create this,’ Competitively, it’s not mine. I need to feel the pride of doing it.’
Further, she noted another issue that plagued her mind and eventually caused her break-up. Speaking candidly, Julianne Hough addressed her insecurity about how she believed that onlookers might think she was using the American Idol host for her own gain. Therefore, this led Hough to play small in her relationship. But considering how Ryan Seacrest had that sort of dynamics in his previous relationship, Hough mentioned trying to overcompensate.
I had this insecurity that I was like, ‘I don’t ever want anybody to think that I’m with him for this reason.’ And so I then started playing smaller. [I] was malleable to fit into exactly what somebody needed me to be for them to be happy.
Ultimately, highlighting the pitfalls of dating in the public eye, Julianne Hough transparently informed fans of breaking free from the frustrating cycle of trying to overcompensate and fitting in. Her revelations thus provided a context for her journey of self-discovery and healing, which became a prime theme of her recently released novel.
