One ofJuliane Hough’s latest Instagram posts sparked fierce debate among her fans as she filmed herself at a sauna lookingnoticeably thin, with the contour of her ribcage visible under her skin while wearing a blue LED anti-aging mask, and striking playful poses.

“This is the strangest thing I’ve seen in a while,” wrote one viewer on the post, uploaded last Monday (September 30). “Are you ok?”

HighlightsJulianne Hough addresses body-shaming after posting a sauna video showing her thin frame.Hough declares she’s healthier and happier than ever despite criticism of her appearance and behavior.She explains her playful actions as a method to release negative emotions, stress, and harmful feelings.Hough acknowledges her behavior may seem strange but says it reflects her feeling safe and authentic.

Far from celebrating her spa day or commenting on her beauty routine, her comment section became filled with the back-and-forth of fans and critics, with one side defending the dancer and the other criticizing her appearance and demeanor.

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Julianne Hough responds to fans body-shaming her after a video of her sauna routine caused some to label her appearance as “unhealthy” and her demeanor as “disturbing”

Julianne Hough Claps Back At Body-Shamers After “Inappropriate” Bikini Video Sparks Criticism

Image credits:Taylor Hill / Getty

“Grief, loss. Sadness and fear also get stored in the body and we hold on to that in different ways. I made it a huge priority to accept, express, process and release a lot of emotions over the years,” shestated.

Julianne Hough Claps Back At Body-Shamers After “Inappropriate” Bikini Video Sparks Criticism

Image credits:juleshough

The dancer recognized how her attitude might’ve been off putting to some viewers, but assured them that the playfulness she displayed was her most authentic version. “My playful goofy side is a reflection of how safe I feel in my own skin and with the people around me,” she noted.

For Hough, being able to freely express oneself, no matter how strange and bizarre it may seem to others, is a healthy habit that people lose as they become adults. “I saw somewhere that when kids are the mostplayfuland can be the most strange and weird versions of themselves it means they are the safest to do so,” the dancer explained.

For the dancer, who has dealt with self-esteem issues in the past, acting erratic and goofy has always been a way to escape the pressures of her public life

Julianne Hough Claps Back At Body-Shamers After “Inappropriate” Bikini Video Sparks Criticism

Her more critical viewers, however, were not convinced, as they believed her movements to be sexually suggestive and not childlike as she said.

“What is the deal with all your inappropriate videos lately? There was no need to film yourself bumping and grinding,” wrote one.

Hough reiterated her message in a follow-up video, where she thanked her fans for their concern and support, reassuring them that she’s feeling healthy and content.

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“Thanks for your concern, but I love mysauna sessions, cold plunges, lymphatic drainage routines, working out, dancing, and spending time with my dog, Sunny.”

“This was on the premiere ofDancing With the Stars!” she wrote on a clip of herself enjoying a burger, playfully shutting down the negative remarks.

Julianne Hough Claps Back At Body-Shamers After “Inappropriate” Bikini Video Sparks Criticism

The dancer had opened up in the past about dealing with body-image issues.

“I was very self-accepting growing up, then something switched in middle school,” she toldRedbook Magazinein 2017. “I would compare myself to everyone and later I did a film where I basically was told I was fat every day, yet I was theskinniestI’d ever been.”

Hough explained how the experience such as that made her resort to what she described as acting “completely crazy or goofy” in order to calm herself down, trying to recapture the “freedom [she] felt as a kid before all that happened.”You May Like"It Will Cause Casualties": Scientist Addresses The City-Leveling Asteroid Threat For 2032Lei RVCéline Dion’s Twins, 14, Spark Real Age Debate After Appearing With “Full Man’s Beard” In PhotoDonata LeskauskaiteHusband Defends “Incredible Mother” Who Shot Her Four Daughters And Then Herself: “Sick And Wrong"Lei RV

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