Julianne Hough recently opened up about the struggles she faced during her marriage to former NHL player Brooks Laich, revealing that their relationship began to “unravel” almost immediately after they tied the knot.
During an emotional appearance on the “Armchair Expert” podcast, the “Dancing With the Stars” host candidly discussed the challenges that emerged shortly after their 2017 wedding.
Hough admitted that she overlooked several “orange flags” before marrying Laich, whom she had been dating long-distance for over three years. The couple had never lived together full-time before getting married, which, in hindsight, contributed to the difficulties they faced as newlyweds.
Compounding these challenges was the fact that Laich, 41, was nearing the end of his professional hockey career. “He had a really tough last few years of his career,” Hough shared, her voice wavering with emotion. “He was injured, and then he got traded right before the team he had been with for almost 12 years won the Stanley Cup. It makes me want to cry because I feel for him so bad.”
This period of transition for Laich coincided with their first year of marriage in 2017, a time Hough now recognizes as the beginning of the end. “That was the year we got married and the year that everything started unraveling,” she reflected.
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As their relationship began to falter, Hough experienced additional heartache. In September 2019, she asked for a separation, and just a week later, both of her beloved dogs, Lexi and Harley, passed away. The combined losses left Hough feeling completely devastated. “It was very tragic,” she said. “That was all kind of happening at the same time, and it was an unraveling. Everything that I had ever known, that I had put in place for my control and my protection… I had this marriage to this guy who represented more of a father figure to me, and while he was changing, I was changing.”
The upheaval in her personal life made Hough feel like her world had been completely “uprooted.” She described the period as one where she felt lost and empty. “I [felt like] I literally blew up my entire life and I have nothing,” she confessed.
Despite the pain and sadness, Hough has come to terms with the end of her marriage. She agreed with podcast host Dax Shepard that their relationship might have worked in “another time [or] another place,” but she has made peace with how things unfolded. “I feel like our relationship and our marriage were exactly right, and the end of it is right, too,” she explained.
Hough acknowledged that both she and Laich have regrets about how their marriage ended, particularly because they lacked the maturity to navigate their changing lives together. “He was contracting while I was expanding. We just couldn’t find each other in that,” she said.
Although Hough has accepted the end of their relationship, she admitted that it still saddens her that things didn’t work out. “I’ve only dated great human beings,” she noted. “He’s got the greatest heart that I could have ever had the privilege of being with.”
The couple officially announced their split in 2020, but their divorce wasn’t finalized until two years later. Since then, Laich has moved on and is now in a relationship with CrossFit athlete Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir. Hough, on the other hand, has not publicly dated anyone since their divorce.
Despite their breakup, Hough and Laich appear to be on amicable terms. The former couple recently reunited at the wedding of Hough’s brother, Derek Hough, and Hayley Erbert last August. Julianne was a bridesmaid at the wedding, while Laich stood by Derek’s side as one of his six groomsmen, highlighting the enduring respect and friendship they share despite their marriage ending.
