Former Dancing With the Stars pro Julianne Hough filed for divorce from former NHL player Brooks Laich on Monday in Los Angeles, six months after the two announced their separation. The divorce came after the couple spent time together over the summer, sparking rumors of a reconciliation. In late September, one source claimed the two were trying to make their relationship work. They were married for almost three years.
Hough filed for dissolution of marriage in the Los Angeles County Courts, reports The Blast. The couple married in 2017 and have no children together. They announced plans to split in May, as the two began the coronavirus quarantine in different states. “We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate,” they said in a statement in May. “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.”
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Following the split, there were several reports that Laich was trying to keep the relationship alive. In July, one source told PEOPLE he was “open to reconciling” with Hough. “If that were an option, he would be all in,” the source said at the time. “Her friends and family love him, and everyone is pulling for him. He’s a great guy, and they would love to see Julianne give things another chance.
The reconciliation rumors persisted through the summer and into late September. The two appeared to be spending one weekend together as they shared several Instagram Story posts at the same lake house. Hough even posted a video with Laich’s husky Koda. A few days later, a source told Entertainment Tonight the former couple “both want to try to make things work” and friends “see this time as very positive.” Based on Hough’s decision Friday, though, things ultimately did not work out.
Last year, Hough revealed in Women’s Health she is “not straight” and what happened when she told Laich about her sexuality. “I was connecting to the woman inside that doesn’t need anything, versus the little girl that looked to him to protect me,” Hough said at the time. “I was like ‘Is he going to love this version of me?’ But the more I dropped into my most authentic self, the more attracted he was to me. Now we have a more intimate relationship.” Earlier this year, Laich included learning “more about intimacy and my sexuality” on his list of new year’s resolutions.
