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Dancing With the Stars' Derek Hough Opens Up About Family's Suicide Tragedy

Find out what the dancer told us about trying to help others get through tough times

By Marc Malkin Dec 04, 2012 9:32 PMTags
Derek Hough, Twit Picinstagr.am

Derek Hough knows what it's like to lose someone to suicide.

And that's one of the reasons the Dancing With the Stars hoofer appeared at Sunday's Trevor Live benefit for The Trevor Project, the suicide prevention hotline for gay youth.

"It's very important to me," Hough told me. "I had a suicide in the family a long time ago when I was 15 years old."

While the death wasn't related to sexuality, Hough said, "To feel so trapped and to feel so isolated and feel that you have to do something like that? We don't want that."

It's not an easy memory to look back on. "It was intense," Hough said. "He left a daughter behind to take care of and we helped raise.

"It's a sad, sad thing for anybody to feel that alone that they can't turn to anyone," he added.

If only there were more Derek Houghs in the world.

Zachary Quinto said he's been a longtime support of the Trevor Project, but became even more involved this year after coming out as a gay man.

"It's been a powerful journey for me personally to get to this point," the American Horror Story and Star Trek star said. "It took me awhile and I feel that's so crucial. Everyone takes their journey in their own way and the Trevor Project really helped me embrace a fuller life."