Turning water into wine! Julianne Hough got candid about her past romance with Ryan Seacrest, telling Kelly Clarkson that her ex was the one to introduce her to wine — which ultimately led to starting her own label with Nina Dobrev.
During her Thursday, April 20, appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the Dancing With the Stars cohost, 34, revealed to the “Mine” singer, 40, about how Seacrest exposed her to the idea of sipping and savoring alcohol. (Hough, who dated the Live With Kelly and Ryan alum, 48, from 2010 to 2013, grew up in the Mormon church, where members don’t drink.)
“He introduced me to wine,” the Safe Haven star said of her time with the American Idol host. “What was so interesting was because I didn’t drink, growing up LDS, it was usually associated with partying and getting drunk — but this was like, an education,” Hough explained to Clarkson, gushing over how much she loves to learn. “He taught me all the different — like, how to smell and how to taste and how to swirl the glass. It felt very cool! And then I was like, ‘How do I take what I learned and turn it into something good and share it with all of you?’”
Hough and Dobrev, 34 — whom the dancer called her “best friend” — launched Fresh Vine Wine in 2021. The “low carb, low calorie, low sugar” spirits feature red, white and rosé options; Clarkson and Hough each enjoyed a glass of red on the show.
“Even Jesus was into this,” Clarkson joked, holding up her glass. “This is God’s plan, not mine.”
Hough has spoken about her Mormon upbringing through the years, telling the New York Post in 2013 that even though she no longer practices the religion, she was “so glad I was raised Mormon.” At the time, the Footloose actress recalled that she and brother Derek Hough were raised with rules that included “no sex before marriage, no drinking, no caffeine, no smoking, no swear words, no R-rated movies.”
In addition to her openness about her religious upbringing, Julianne and Seacrest have also been candid about their past romance — and where their relationship stands today. (The “On Air With Ryan Seacrest” host has been in a relationship with Aubrey Paige Petcosky since 2021, while Julianne was married to ex-husband Brooks Laich from 2020 to 2022.)
In March 2022, before interviewing Julianne and Derek, 37, on his radio show, Seacrest explained how the situation wasn’t “awkward” for him because he and the Rock of Ages star “have remained friends.”
“We’re friends! We chat [a lot],” Julianne — whom Seacrest referred to as “Jules” — agreed, saying that the two treat each other with “respect and love and all those things.”
