Julianne Hough: Being hit by Paula Abdul's hat was 'the greatest moment of my life'
May 13th, 2019
The "America's Got Talent" judge was fine being "thwacked" by a flying hat at the Billboard Music Awards considering it came from Paula Abdul.
by Scott Stump, TODAY
Rarely do you see someone honored to be hit in the neck by a flying hat.
But for Julianne Hough, the fun moment at the Billboard Music Awards earlier this month was one she won't forget because that hat came flying out of the hands of legendary fellow dancer Paula Abdul during her performance.
"That was the greatest moment of my life,'' Hough told Jenna Bush Hager and Savannah Guthrie on TODAY Monday.
"Being a dancer, I've always looked up to her in general because she started out dancing, she's a musician, she's had a long career."
The "Straight Up" singer was strutting her way through the audience while performing a medley of her hits from the late 1980s and early '90s when she took a black hat off her head and whipped it into the crowd.
Hough, 30, got caught in a hit and run when the hat struck her neck as Abdul, 56, kept shimmying through the crowd.
"I was honored to be thwacked, smacked, whatever it is,'' Hough said. "Literally right afterwards, I picked her up. She can like fit in my pocket."
Hough also had some fun with the moment by tweeting a photo of herself in a neck brace afterward, and Abdul thought it was hilarious.
"The result of the honor of being hit in the neck by @PaulaAbdul’s flying hat!” Hough wrote. “Love you, babe!!!"
"OMG IM PEEING MY PANTS!!!!!" Abdul added. "You know it was with love."
Hough's new mission is trying to get Abdul on the latest season of the NBC hit, "America's Got Talent." Hough has joined the 14th season of the show as a judge.
"Can you imagine to get onstage, dance with her, sing with her?" Hough said. "It would be pretty awesome."
Just make sure to duck when she takes off her hat.