Brooks Laich just opened up about being more emotional. The former NHL star talked about his feelings on Monday’s episode of his How Men Think podcast with musician Gavin DeGraw and admitted to feeling “unemotional in personal relationships” in the past. This comes after his wife, Dancing with the Stars alum Julianne Hough, officially filed for divorce.
“I cry all the time and it’s wonderful. It’s something I’ve recently learned since the passing of our two dogs,” Laich said as reported by PEOPLE when talking about the death of his Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Lexi and Harley, back in 2019. “I’ve learned how to honor emotions in the moment and let them come up and through me and out of me, and a lot of times that’s through crying. And you know me … I played pro hockey for 15 years, threw dudes into dudes. I’m a dude. But I love being able to release emotion truthfully, organically, in the moment [and] not suppress it.”
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Laich went on to say it’s “liberating to allow and give yourself the grace and the capacity to just allow that emotion to live and come out.” He then noted it’s “liberating to honor those emotions and let them come to life.” Hough filed for divorce from Laich six months after both announced their separation. They did spend time together over the summer, which sparked rumors of a reconciliation.
“We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate,” Laich and Hough said in a statement. “We share an abundance of love and respect for one another and will continue to lead with our hearts from that place,” the couple said. “We kindly request your compassion and respect for our privacy moving forward.”
The couple got engaged in 2015 following a year of dating. They got married in July 2017 in Idaho, but rumors of a breakup began back in January when Laich was seen sharing photos and videos on Instagram without a wedding ring.
Laich played in over 750 NHL games for four teams – Ottawa Senators, Washington Capitals, Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings. He also played internationally and helped Canada earn the silver medal in the 2003 World Junior Championships. In his career, Laich scored 134 goals with 198 assists.
