From anxiety, to bullying, to devastating diagnoses,
it's a wonder these "Dancing With The Stars" judges can keep smiling in the
spotlight. These tragic details about the panel might change the way you see the show.
"Dancing With the Stars" debuted back in 2005 and has been on the air for almost two decades. While
the show has undergone many changes over the years, new hosts, different dancers,
and of course, the ever-changing stars, most of the judges have been the same
since the first episode. Carrie Ann Inaba, Len Goodman, and Bruno Tonioli have critiqued
the competition from the beginning. Then there's Derek Hough and his sister, Julianne,
who have not only had long stints as judges but have also competed on the show themselves.
Viewers feel connected to the judges who, despite looking like they always have it together,
have faced heartache and struggle just like the rest of us. Carrie Ann Inaba,
for example, struggles with several chronic autoimmune conditions. As she revealed on her
blog "Carrie Ann Conversations," she suffers from Sjogren's syndrome, lupus, fibromyalgia,
and rheumatoid arthritis. She also has the markers for the antiphospholipid syndrome,
which can lead to blood clots. According to Inaba, her diagnoses have been especially
challenging because many of her symptoms are hard to see, which led to feelings of
isolation because nobody believed her, and her doctors had a hard time diagnosing her.
Because Inaba was also a professional dancer, her health challenges kept her
from doing what she loved most. Eventually, she was forced to give up her dance career,
a personally painful decision that led to her stepping down from hosting "The Talk" in 2021,
explaining to fans that she needed to focus on feeling well.
"I know you guys understand health is the most important thing."
Far from letting her health issues slow her down, Inaba uses her struggle as a platform to help
others. By spreading awareness of autoimmune diseases, whether through her Instagram Live
series, "Carrie Ann Conversations," or her blog, Inaba strongly believes in, quote, "... sharing
my journey, my solutions, and the things that have helped me with anyone who could use it."
Carrie Ann Inaba hasn't only suffered physically, she's been hurt emotionally, as well, having been
sexually abused as a child. When discussing a documentary covering abuse on her former show,
"The Talk," Inaba revealed she was molested as a child and later by a person she identified as
a "monk" whom she went to for help. Instead, the man pulled down her pants and began to spank her.
She later disclosed the sexual abuse was what led her to dress like a tomboy, explaining that
because she was attractive, she would choose outfits that would make her appear, quote,
"...uglier on purpose." Fortunately, since then, Inaba has found a way to forgive and
use her experiences to heal and move on with her life, free from shame.
Judging "Dancing With the Stars" isn't always fun. According to Inaba, there have been times
when she's felt harassed by viewers, getting bullied because of how she judges people.
Inaba did get a lot of heat, though, for how she judged "The Bachelorette" alum Kaitlyn Bristowe
and her partner, Artem Chigvintsev Fans believed Inaba evaluated them harshly because of her past
romantic relationship with Chigvintsev. Even he admitted in an interview with Entertainment
Tonight that he felt, at times, things got "a little personal." Yet Inaba shut down those
claims, blaming Bristowe's followers. Inaba made it clear that she was "OK with passion"
when it came to the fanbase, but that she wouldn't let herself be bullied by anyone.
"I'm not about to change because you try to bully me. It only makes me stronger in my convictions."
After everything Inaba's been through, feeling attacked had to hurt. Luckily, she's had the
support of other pros and contestants coming to her defense, saying she's just doing her job.
Carrie Ann Inaba isn't the only "Dancing With the Stars" judge with health issues. Len Goodman has
had cancer not once but twice. The first time the former "Strictly Come Dancing"
judge was diagnosed with cancer was after an annual checkup in 2009 when he was diagnosed
with prostate cancer. He decided, however, to delay his treatment to continue working
on "DWTS." Goodman went on to get the tumor removed but kept his diagnosis under wraps
for a while, feeling that it, quote, "wasn't necessary to blabber it out to everyone."
Goodman recovered from prostate cancer but was later hit with another blow. In 2020,
he learned he had skin cancer on his face after getting a mole checked out by
a doctor. The small mole on his forehead was removed and was no longer a problem,
leading Goodman to joke that in the future, he would be sure to wear a hat while playing golf.
While Goodman admitted he was shocked to discover he had cancer for a second time,
he was glad to have discovered it early and wanted to spread awareness so that others could too.
Bruno Tonioli might be a beloved TV personality these days, but the Italian choreographer had
a difficult time growing up because he was bullied for being gay. Growing up
in a small Italian village at a time when being homosexual was socially unacceptable,
Tonioli was threatened and even assaulted by men who chased him from a club with
a broken bottle because his dancing skills got him attention from girls.
While Tonioli was able to use the sense of humor that later helped make him a star to get
out of that particular situation, he was forever changed. Realizing he had to "reinvent " himself,
he became "very popular" so the bullies would no longer have any reason to attack him.
Though Tonioli acknowledges that things have changed since then, he feels more
must be done to keep others from having similar experiences. According to Tonioli, there must be
a fundamental change in society to prevent kids from killing themselves because of bullying.
Perhaps that's why he makes it a point to speak out against hate, even posting on Instagram,
"No one should be bullied or called names for simply being who they are."
At one point in his life, Bruno Tonioli suffered from a series of tragic losses. Over a nightmarish
period of seven years, many people in his family and some very close friends passed away.
The pain of losing both of his parents crushed Tonioli,
and the sorrow lingers to this day. In an interview, he shared that he often feels
sad when he thinks about how much his parents would have loved seeing how successful he has
become. Tonioli still gets emotional talking about his family, and since he's lost everyone,
he doesn't often return to his hometown. However, because of what he has been through,
he doesn't let fame go to his head. Instead, Tonioli says, it gave him a major reality check.
"I like being naked."
"Bruno!"
"Well, I'm European, you know..."
Like some of her fellow "Dancing With the Stars" judges, Julianne Hough had a
difficult childhood because of her personal experience with sexual abuse. It happened
after the "Footloose" star moved to London to study dance at a prestigious academy. Hough
revealed in an interview that she was abused mentally and physically from about the age
of ten and that it got worse after she hit puberty and began to mature into a woman.
Unfortunately, Hough felt she never got a chance to be a little girl because she
started dancing professionally at a young age. According to Hough,
she was forced to put on "a sexy facade" because, in her words, "it was her job." In addition,
she was made to believe there was no way out, recalling that she was told if she
ever returned to the United States, she would never amount to anything.
Hough was eventually able to channel her trauma into her acting, especially for her film "Safe
Haven," where her character also had past trauma. When interviewed about the film,
Hough shared that she could relate to her character because she understood what it
was like to be in a situation that she says "just sucked the life out of her." Fortunately, like her
character, Hough made it past the darkness of the situation to come into her own once again.
Although Hough projects an aura of happiness and positivity, over the years, she has dealt with
some mental health issues. She once shared that as a child, she struggled to focus, particularly
in the classroom. She has struggled with these conditions since she was a kid, and her ongoing
battle with anxiety and depression even led her to think there was something "wrong" with her.
Fortunately, the "Dancing With the Stars'' judge discovered that dancing,
or simply staying active and moving her body, has offered her a way to cope with some of her
problems. It's something she continues to do as an adult, especially through her KINRGY program,
a workout she created that emphasizes movement for "mental clarity" and "emotional wellness."
"To work out for me, it used to be a 'what I looked like' thing. That
was when I was younger. But now I need it for my mental health."
Of course, Hough still faces obstacles that have been difficult on her mental well-being,
like her 2020 divorce. At the time, according to 'Us Weekly," she took to her Instagram Stories to
imply she was having a hard time and joked about "having an emotional breakdown." She also shared
a meme that suggested that when you are "... feeling stuck, depressed, anxious, or hopeless,"
you should take your "attention off yourself" and help "someone less fortunate than you."
If you are a longtime Julianne Hough fan, then you probably knew how important her two dogs,
Lexi and Harley, were to her. The "Grease Live!" star was often photographed with her
pups. They even accompanied her on TV and were frequently shown on her social media. Of course,
it was absolutely devastating when both of Hough's dogs died on the same day in
September 2019. She took some time to privately grieve their deaths
before taking to Instagram weeks later to share the news with a tribute, writing,
"Thank you for teaching me how to be your mother. I love you forever, now you are free."
While Hough never shared how her dogs died,
it's clear that the tragic turn of events was traumatic. She did reveal, however,
that the circumstance surrounding their deaths was "heartbreaking" and caused her nightmares
because they both died the same way. She also shared that the loss of her beloved
pets sent her into a period of sadness and grief she had never experienced before.
In the end, however, Harley and Lexi's deaths did teach Hough that she didn't always have to
feel happy or try to make everything perfect and to be thankful for the timeless memories.
Like his sister, Julianne, Derek Hough has been open about mental
health issues throughout his career, especially how he has been personally
impacted by suicide. Hough first opened up about his experience at a benefit for
a suicide prevention hotline in 2012. He related that he had first been impacted by
suicide at 15 when his uncle took his own life, leaving behind a daughter.
Years later, in 2017, Hough released his first solo single, "Hold On," to raise awareness about
men's mental health. When discussing his song and video, he again shared why the issue was so
important to him, stating that while he wrote the song for a friend who was going through a
hard time, it was the suicide of "Linkin Park" frontman Chester Bennington that inspired him
to release it. Hough and Bennington had talked briefly, and Hough had even met Barrington's kids,
so when Bennington died, he said, "it brought up a lot of emotions."
"So for me, it's something that's important to me, and to create this and talk about
it and to create a conversation, to hopefully make it less of a stigma"
Dancing With the Stars is one of the most enduring and popular reality shows on TV,
and much of the show's success can be attributed to the judges. Over the years,
Len, Carrie Ann, and Bruno, as well as Derek, Julianne, and a host of guest judges, have shared
their wit and wisdom with fans who love the show. However, as charming as they are, and despite
looking like they are living the good life on TV, the "Dancing With the Stars" judges have all
endured many hardships in their lives. Still, it is a tribute to them that they have all used their
personal tragedies not only as a springboard for personal growth but to use their fame as
a platform to reach out to others, helping to spread awareness on many issues whenever they can.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline​ by dialing 988 or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255)​.