Julianne Hough (Pinterest)

In February's issue of Cosmopolitan, the actress-dancer-singer reveals that as a young dance student in London, she was sexualized at a young age and taken advantage of by adults who saw she had no parental supervision. With her family a continent away in Utah, she suffered physical and emotional abuse from those around her. 

"I was 10 years old looking like I was 28, being a very sensual dancer." 

"I was a tormented little kid who had to put on this sexy façade because that was my job and my life," she adds. "But my heart was the same, and I was this innocent little girl. I wanted so much love.

The 24-year-old is not looking for pity, but rather wants to be a voice for those who have experienced similar abuse. She declined to reveal other details about her abuse or who her abusers were, stating, "I’m a very forgiving person, and I don’t want to hurt anybody. What’s past is past.” However, she did add that once she hit puberty and "started becoming a woman and stopped being a little girl," the abuse worsened.

“I was told if I ever went back to the United States, three things were going to happen. One: I was going to amount to nothing. Two: I was going to work at Whataburger. And three: I was going to end up a slut. So it was like, I can’t go back, I have to be this person,'" she explained.

Clearly, albeit at a cost, Hough has done extremely well for herself. With the motivation and dedication she demonstrated at the mere age of ten, the triple threat has graced the stage of "Dancing With The Stars," sold a number-one country album and starred in films like "Footloose" and "Rock of Ages" alongside big-name actors.

In her upcoming movie "'Safe Haven," Hough plays a domestic abuse survivor who learns to open up and accept the love of a widower. The film will be released on Feb. 14 and also stars Josh Duhamel.

Reach Entertainment Associate Editor Jenny Chao here. Follow her on Twitter here.