Robin Wright stunned Derek Hough on the 2026 Golden Globe Awards red carpet by revealing she once believed he and his sister Julianne Hough were husband and wife.
The mix-up surfaced Sunday, Jan. 11, when the 59-year-old House of Cards star approached Derek, 40, while he worked the carpet for Extra.
The On-Carpet Exchange
“Wait, you’re the brother of Julianne. I love her!” Wright began.
“Can I tell you something? When I first saw her dance, I was like, ‘They’re married.'”
Derek laughed and replied, “Oh, yeah! Yeah, I’ve got that sometimes.”
Wright quickly clarified her earlier confusion: “No, they’re brother and sister.”
She praised their performances, adding, “You guys are amazing together. I follow you guys on Instagram and watch you guys move.”
Why the Confusion Started
The rumor is nothing new to the Hough siblings. During a Sept. 5 appearance on the Chicks in the Office podcast, Julianne, 37, recalled a live Dancing with the Stars tour-before they joined the ABC show-when judge Carrie Ann Inaba choreographed a rumba for them.
“That is the dance of love, right? That my brother and I had to dance together,” Julianne said. “And our names in the program were Derek and Julianne Hough. So everybody thought we were married, and we were doing this rumba.”
Audience reaction was immediate. “When people found out we were brother and sister, I remember, specifically, there was one venue where we were dancing, and we just heard, ‘That just wrong!'” she laughed.
Carrie Ann still apologizes for the pairing. “To this day, she’s like, ‘I’m sorry I made you guys dance the rumba,'” Julianne added.
A Seamless Partnership
Derek told Good Morning America in 2016 that their bond creates an effortless workflow.
“We actually work pretty well together. We kind of have like this hidden language where we don’t really talk … it’s actually great. We’re very privileged, we feel very lucky to do something that you love with somebody that you love and care about. It’s a wonderful thing.”
Julianne echoed the sentiment in an interview with The Insider: “We just have this secret hidden language where we can just naturally dance together. We don’t even have to talk about it when we choreograph. We just go and do it.”
At a Glance
- Robin Wright told Derek Hough she once thought he and Julianne were married.
- The confusion dates back to a rumba the siblings performed on tour.
- Fans still mistake the duo for a couple because of their chemistry.
- Why it matters: The anecdote highlights how the Houghs’ on-stage connection transcends typical sibling dynamics.
Key Takeaways:
- Wright’s red-carpet revelation confirms the long-running fan mix-up.
- A single rumba choreographed by Carrie Ann Inaba sparked the misconception.
- Derek and Julianne continue to dazzle audiences with their seamless, wordless coordination.
