Derek Hough Says Childhood Bullies Held Gun To His Head

Derek Hough’s opening up about his childhood struggles -- saying the bullying got so bad that a group of kids held a gun to his head!

Speaking on "The Bossticks" podcast, the 'DWTS' star said being a skinny kid obsessed with dance didn’t exactly win him points at school ... and things escalated fast -- including one incident where he says a kid punched him so hard that Derek was left covered in blood.

Derek says he eventually started fighting back and beating the boys up, too ... but says that landed him in trouble and got him expelled. And that wasn't the end of it.

Derek recalled getting jumped by a group of bullies -- just because a girl had a crush on him -- claiming neighborhood kids would hang him upside down from trees, spit on him, and even hold a gun to his head.

He says the trauma followed him home with night terrors and bedwetting -- until he eventually moved to London at the age of 12, where dance finally gave him purpose and a place he felt safe.