Julianne Hough Opens Up About Marrying Brooks Laich: It Was a Journey of Love, Regrets, and Growth!

She felt it was about time to open up about her past experiences, so popular Dancing with the Stars judge Julianne Hough revealed the most private details connected with her love life and marriage to Brooks Laich, the former NHL player. On August 12, 2024, during her very open and honest conversation on the Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, she was able to detail what happened, why it ended, and how she felt. Reflecting back to those moments where they were still together, Hough shared that both she and Laich have regrets over what happened but accepted it anyway.

Their Fairytale Beginning

Meeting and Falling in Love

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich’s relationship started heating up in November 2013. The two just clicked right off the bat, and two years into seeing each other, they got engaged in August 2015. Their romance was kind of a fairy tale: an outdoor wedding like none other, on July 8, 2017. It was set on Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho, where Hough spent every summer since childhood, making this the perfect pick for her.

Hough had not forgotten how the two of them had scouted the place for their wedding. “When I introduced Brooks to the lake, he fell in love with this special spot, and we knew this was where we wanted to raise our family and grow old together,” she shared at that time. It seemed like a picturesque setting that held an assurance for love and happiness in the future.

The Marriage Journey

Hough and Laich seemed to really have a firm, loving relationship in the beginning as newlyweds. As time went by, though, they hit that level of marriage where they began having problems. Cravings for their respective careers, paired with normal marriage ups and downs, started to show them and other people, for that matter, that there were problems hidden beneath the surface. Though they loved each other to the core, they kept growing apart as their personal growth paths began going in ways different from one another.

The Struggles: Diverging Paths and Emotional Distance

A Growing Divide

Speaking to Armchair Expert, Hough reflected on the dynamics that would eventually break down her marriage. She shared that while it was meaningful and right in so many ways, they were just at an age where they didn’t have the maturity to know how to move forward with their differences. Hough said that she and Laich were heading in opposite directions: “He was contracting while I was expanding,” she noted, referring to divergent directions of their personal growth trajectories.

As their marriage went on, Hough and Laich became isolated in their own protective modes, having no capacity to bridge the gap that started growing between them. In doing so, they could not reconnect in the way they both felt. It was this emotional distance that led to the mutual realization that their marriage no longer served either of them in a way it once had.

Recognizing Regrets

Hough was honest about the regrets that she and Laich both have about the marriage ending. She confided that they both wanted to make it work, but at the time felt neither one of them had the maturity. “We both have regrets that it didn’t work out because I don’t think we had the maturity to come together,” she shared.

While there were regrets, according to Hough, the decision to break up was totally right. She said she is sad their relationship did not last, but at the same time, they have both been in relationships with “great human beings” and this was really special—just not meant to last forever.

Their Decision to Separate: A Mutual and Respectful Choice

Getting Through Separation

With the COVID-19 pandemic putting everyone into quarantine, Hough and Laich suddenly found themselves physically apart. The period of detachment increased only the emotional distance between them, further fueling speculation surrounding their marriage. In May 2020, the couple publicly announced their decision to separate in a joint statement, expressing their continued love and respect for one another.

“We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate,” they wrote. “We share an abundance of love and respect for one another and will continue to lead with our hearts from that place. We kindly request your compassion and respect for our privacy moving forward.”

Finalizing the Divorce

Although there were speculations of a reconciliation, Hough finally filed for divorce in November 2020. Insiders close to the couple said that after trying to work at the relationship, Hough came to realize that she was much happier when free. Laich was willing to give her space, but at some point, he just couldn’t continue with the relationship on those terms. Thus, with the divorce finalized in June 2022, their marriage was formally closed.

How He Moved On to Singlehood and New Beginnings: An Open Heart

 A Heart Open to Love

Julianne Hough has rolled with the punches regarding the end of her marriage. In July 2024, Hough told us she’s happy to be single, though she wouldn’t shut the door on love should it come knocking again. “Look, my heart is open,” she said, adding, “I’m ready for whatever is right. I’m not gonna force anything.”.

Hough has made it very clear that she lives life to the fullest but would definitely leave room for “something really special” if it did come her way. She just wants to be herself and let life take its course—the need to please society by engaging in a relationship or getting married is totally irrelevant to her.

Reflecting on the Past, Looking to the Future

Julianne Hough shares her reflections from her marriage to Brooks Laich that seem to speak volumes toward the complexities of relationships and personal growth. Part of her felt that, even though it hurt and she regretted the ending, deep inside, it was something that needed to happen for both of them to grow in their lives.

But with all that is said, Hough does have a little faith left for the future and its unknowns. Whether she finds love again or continues reveling in her independence, she is committed to authentic living and embracing whatever comes her way.