Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich's Relationship Timeline

Actress Julianne Hough and former NHL hockey player Brooks Laich started dating in 2013 and tied the knot in 2017. Before finalizing their divorce in 2022, the couple announced their split to PEOPLE in May 2020. Here is a complete timeline of their relationship

01 of 25

November 2013: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich meet at a seminar

2015 Creative Arts Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

In November 2013, Hough and her family attended a six-day seminar on creating one's own destiny — a trip that would eventually lead the star to meet Laich. "I was not into it at first, but I learned so much about myself and why my relationships didn't work that by the end I was on a high," the Dancing with the Stars alum told Redbook in 2014, adding that she ended things with a few people she had been casually dating immediately following the seminar.

"The next day, my Curve costar introduced [Brooks and me]," she revealed of Laich, who plays hockey for the Washington Capitals. "It couldn't have been a better time. We've been open and honest from day one."

02 of 25

February 19, 2014: Brooks Laich says he is a "lucky guy" because of his relationship with Julianne Hough

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich Visit Disneyland
Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Resorts/Getty

The relatively private Laich confirmed he and Hough were dating in February 2014. "She's a cool, cool gal. She's just a sweetheart, very loving, very giving," the athlete shared during an interview with 106.7 The Fan, as reported by E! News. "She puts so much great out into the world. I'm a pretty lucky guy."

03 of 25

June 30, 2014: Julianne Hough says she is "not holding anything back" in her relationship with Brooks Laich

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Instagram

When describing what makes her relationship with Laich so different from previous ones, Hough simply revealed she could be her true self around the athlete.

"Every relationship, there was nothing wrong or bad, but there was nothing right. I had one foot out because I didn't want to get hurt," Hough explained to Redbook in 2014. "And I didn't say what was on my mind because I didn't want to ruffle any feathers. I needed to be perfect. Now I'm not holding anything back because I'd rather get my heart broken than never know what it is to be completely, madly in love."

04 of 25

August 18, 2015: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich announce their engagement

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Julianne Hough/Instagram

On Aug. 18, 2015, Hough and Laich announced their engagement on Instagram. "We are overwhelmed with joy and excitement to share with you our recent engagement!" Hough captioned a photo of the pair.

Just one month after getting engaged, Hough told PEOPLE: "I'm just feeling so happy and blessed every moment of every day. My favorite thing about being engaged is just a sense of warmth and just joy."

05 of 25

August 31, 2015: Julianne Hough's brother, Derek, approves of her engagement to Brooks Laich

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Julianne Hough/Instagram

After Hough and Laich shared their happy news on Instagram, Hough's brother, Derek, said he was a big fan of his sister's beau. "I knew that it was happening within the first month they were dating," Derek told PEOPLE of Julianne and Brooks' engagement in 2015.

"It was one of those things where it was instant, and that smile and glow she's had hasn't dimmed ever since she met [him]. That's a special thing," he added.

06 of 25

January 2016: Julianne Hough admits she's "bad" at phone sex with Brooks Laich

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich dine at Catch restaurant together
Splash News

Although Hough and Laich embarked on a long-distance relationship due to work obligations, the couple still kept things intimate, turning to phone sex sessions whenever apart.

"I'm really bad at it ... I'll get halfway through and start laughing," Hough revealed. "It's an art. I applaud people who are good at it. They need to come and help me keep a straight face!"

07 of 25

June 20, 2016: Julianne Hough says she and Brooks Laich knew they were right for each other

Julianne Hough and fiance Brooks Laich show some PDA as they leave Catch restaurant after having dinner
Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich. MEGA

As Hough explained to Entertainment Tonight, she has had an undeniable bond with Laich since their initial meeting. "I mean, I've never really been the person to think about 'When you know you know,' but it was just kind of like that," Hough told ET in June 2016. "When we first met each other, we were like, 'And we're done.'"

"It's cool because we're in two different professions," Hough described to ET of how the duo supports one another. "It's fun to be able to learn about the other's profession. I think that's how we support, like, going to each other's games or performances and talking about it afterward. 'What was going on? What was that? What was that move? How come that person didn't score the goal?' He'll teach me about it. I don't know much about his sport, but I'm able to learn ... It's fun. It's really fun."

08 of 25

June 5, 2017: Julianne Hough shares photos from date night with Brooks Laich

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Source: Brooks Laich/Instagram

As evidenced by the couple's Instagram accounts, there is no shortage of SDA (social displays of affection). The two went on a date night in June 2017, and Hough documented their sweet night out in a series of photos.

"I am completely and utterly madly in love with you!" Hough captioned the smiling image of the pair donning sunglasses, adding, "My best friend, my hero, my everything!"

09 of 25

July 5, 2017: Brooks Laich calls himself "a lucky man" to be with Julianne Hough

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Instagram

Ahead of the couple's wedding, the hockey player posted an ode to his little family: Hough and their dogs. "I'm a lucky man to be surrounded by love like this!!" he wrote on Instagram in July 2017.

10 of 25

July 8, 2017: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich get married

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Tonya Wise/Invision for the Television Academy/AP

The two said "I do" on July 8, 2017, in a romantic, outdoor wedding on Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where Hough spent summer holidays growing up.

"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," Hough told PEOPLE. "It just felt right to be married here."

11 of 25

February 1, 2018: Brooks Laich admits he knew he would marry Julianne Hough before they started dating

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In a video posted to Instagram, the DWTS judge captured her new husband admitting he knew she was the one long before they got engaged.

"You knew you were going to marry me before I was even your girlfriend," Hough can be heard saying as she tries to stealthily capture the romantic moment on video while the two were vacationing in Paris.

"One hundred percent," Laich replied. He called her out for her not-so-sneaky camera work before acknowledging Hough's assertion, "I measured your ring before we were even dating. Before you were even my girlfriend, I measured your ring."

12 of 25

February 17, 2018: Brooks Laich says his marriage to Julianne Hough is "the greatest thing ever"

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Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for harper by Harper's BAZAAR

Nearly seven months after tying the knot, the couple opened up to PEOPLE about their life as newlyweds.

"It's just the greatest thing ever to marry your best friend," Laich told PEOPLE at the Love United Charity Ride at SoulCycle in Hollywood on Feb. 17, 2018. "We thought we loved each other when we were engaged, and then marriage is a whole new level. It's just fun to see the love continually grow every day. I just feel like a pretty lucky man right now. It's the best."

To which Hough agreed, "Ditto."

13 of 25

September 2019: Julianne Hough says she revealed to Brooks Laich that she is "not straight"

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich
Brooks Laich and Julianne Hough. Ali Buck

In September 2019, Julianne shared with Women's Health that she is "not straight" and said that because of her revelation, she now has a more intimate relationship with Laich and has "never felt more like a woman in [her] life."

She also shared that she was initially worried about bringing up her sexuality with her husband but eventually found it to be the right decision.

"I was connecting to the woman inside that doesn't need anything versus the little girl that looked to him to protect me," she said. "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."

As for the moment she told him, it went a little something like this: "I [told him], 'You know I'm not straight, right?' And he was like, 'I'm sorry what?'" she explained. "I was like, 'I'm not. But I choose to be with you.'"

14 of 25

July 7, 2019: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich reveal they worked with a sexologist

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Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich in L.A. in August 2019. Frazer Harrison/Getty

On Laich's iHeartRadio podcast How Men Think, Hough revealed the couple had hired a sexologist.

"When I took the test, I realized that there were certain things that gave me connection and intimacy that were different than what gave Brooks connection and intimacy," Hough explained about a "quiz" the couple's sexologist gave them.

"By almost learning each other's language — sort of like love languages — it was almost like a menu of how we could please each other sexually, but also intimately," she added.

"A lot of people don't know even what they want," she continued. "My curiosity has saved my life and honestly saved our relationship many times because we've been curious about like, 'Hey, something doesn't feel right. Instead of just accepting it for how it is, let's look into something.'"

15 of 25

July 29, 2019: Brooks Laich says he didn't find Julianne Hough not taking his last name "disrespectful"

Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich
Michael Tran/Getty

According to E! News, Brooks didn't "find it disrespectful" when his wife decided not to take his last name.

"I'm obviously open to it, but at the start, yeah, it was a little jarring for me," the former NHL player said on his podcast. "When we first met and got engaged and stuff, we had this conversation, and I was like, 'I want you to take my last name,' I said that. It was important to me."

However, Brooks said he plans to revisit the discussion down the line: "To me right now, it's not that big of an issue. We don't have any kids right now, but she doesn't have my last name."

16 of 25

October 15, 2019: Julianne Hough opens up about her IVF journey with Brooks Laich

After Laich spoke about Hough's in vitro fertilization journey on his podcast in 2018, Hough opened up about the couple's road to conception in a conversation with PEOPLE.

"The best part about being open is when you really don't have anything to hide, it's just liberating and free," Hough told PEOPLE on Oct. 15, 2019, at the launch of Roven Clean Beauty in L.A.'s Venice neighborhood. "The thing at hand that felt so heavy to carry doesn't feel so heavy anymore. It's not a burden."

She continued: "It's actually a freedom where not only do I feel free, but then people can see themselves in that freedom and have the courage also to talk about it. I really, truly believe that when we keep things inside, that's where illnesses come from. That's where pain comes from — physically, emotionally, mentally. So the more we not only just talk about it, but [move] through it, [the better]."

17 of 25

January 8, 2020: Rumors swirl that Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich are "having problems"

The Trevor Project's 2017 TrevorLIVE LA - Arrivals
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

In 2019, Hough was spotted without her wedding ring on New Year's Eve, despite Laich joining her in N.Y.C.'s Times Square while she hosted NBC's countdown. Sources told PEOPLE the two hit a rough patch.

"They've been having problems for months," one source said. "She's very independent and a free spirit, and that's been tough for Brooks and their marriage."

But a second insider said the couple, who had been married for two years, hadn't given up hope on their relationship.

"It seems they are not giving up, but also not talking about it," said the second source. "They want to do this their way. They don't want to discuss their marriage. They have been having problems, but many people do."

The insider added, "Maybe it's a just a phase, maybe not. But either way they are not going to address it publicly right now."

18 of 25

April 2020: Julianne Hough reveals she and Laich are socially distancing apart during the COVID-19 pandemic

Julianne Hough, Brooks Laich
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty; Brooks Laich/Instagram

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020, the couple revealed they were socially distancing apart. Hough stayed at the pair's Los Angeles home while Laich retreated to their house in Idaho.

"Being on tour for three months and traveling and starting a business … it's a lot," Hough told Oprah Magazine. "So to be able to be home, and stop and pause, and look inward, and connect back to myself has been glorious. I've been on my own."

She continued, "My husband is in Idaho doing lots of yard work … and so we're kind of doing our separate things right now. But it's really been a magical time.

While Hough was soaking up the quality time with herself, she admitted to Oprah Magazine that she did "feel alone" while away from her husband.

19 of 25

May 29, 2020: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich announce their split

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On May 29, 2020, Hough and Laich confirmed their split in a statement to PEOPLE.

"We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate," they said in their joint statement. "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."

One source with knowledge of the situation said, "It's over, it's been over for a while, and it's time to just call it what it is — and it is over. There is honestly no ill will. He loves her. She loves him. I can truly say they always will. But they both understand they are not meant to go through their lives as husband and wife to each other."

According to the source, Hough is a "deeply different person than she was when they got married."

"She is proud of those differences and changes she's made, and she doesn't want to go back," the source said. "He is the man he is, and he shouldn't change a thing. But they shouldn't spend the rest of their lives together — not as spouses, anyway."

The source added: "They are both on the same page about that now. It took them a while to get here, but now they both understand that, and they are hoping to move forward as deeply loving friends forever who will always be supportive and encouraging of one another."

20 of 25

July 25, 2020: Julianne Hough celebrates her 32nd birthday with Brooks Laich

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Nina Dobrev/Instagram

In July 2020, Hough celebrated her 32nd birthday with a pool party, and her ex Laich also got in on the fun.

Hough's pal Nina Dobrev captured footage of Hough performing an epic pool jump above none other than Laich's head and an inflatable arch. Hough glides over the arch and lands on a rainbow pool float, while Laich looks amazed by the stunt in the clip. "Now that's how you stick a landing," Dobrev captioned the video.

21 of 25

September 2020: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich hint at reconciliation

Hough hinted she and Laich had reunited after posting a photo with his dog, Koda, on Sept. 26.

Two sources then told PEOPLE that the stars are vacationing together in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, the same destination where they got married in July 2017. Following their split, the pair had been social distancing apart during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Laich in Idaho and Hough in L.A.

One insider said the couple's decision to part ways brought them closer. "They decided to separate and to do their own thing," the insider told PEOPLE. Brooks always wanted to stay married and made a lot of changes to make it work. He was getting frustrated. He was hoping that Jules would come around, and she finally has."

The insider added that Hough "realized that Brooks really, really loves her. He is a great guy and so supportive of her ... They are having the best trip."

22 of 25

November 2, 2020: Julianne Hough files for divorce from Brooks Laich

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Brooks Laich, Julianne Hough. Getty images (2)

Five months after the pair announced their separation, Hough filed for divorce from Laich on Nov. 2, 2020, in Los Angeles, according to documents obtained by The Blast.

"They were trying to work on things, but Julianne realized she's happier having her freedom," a source told PEOPLE. "Brooks tried to give it to her, but he also hit his limit."

23 of 25

November 2, 2020: Brooks Laich says he gets emotional about his divorce from Julianne Hough

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Brooks Laich and Julianne Hough. Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Amid his divorce from Hough, Laich said on his podcast, How Men Think, that he has no problem getting emotional.

"I cry all the time, and it's wonderful. It's something I've recently learned since the passing of our two dogs," he said, referencing the 2019 deaths of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Lexi and Harley, whom he shared with Hough.

He continued, "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 ... I love being able to release emotion truthfully, organically, in the moment [and] not suppress it. It's liberating to allow and give yourself the grace and the capacity to just allow that emotion to live and come out."

24 of 25

February 23, 2022: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich reach a final agreement in divorce

Nearly two years after their initial separation, on Feb. 23, 2022, Hough filed a declaration for uncontested dissolution.

"The parties have entered into a written agreement regarding their property and their marriage or domestic partnership rights, including support, the original of which is being or has been submitted to the court," the declaration read.

According to the documents, Hough waived her right to spousal support from Laich, and their agreement is uncontested.

25 of 25

June 10, 2022: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich are officially divorced

TMZ was the first to report that the former couple finalized their divorce on June 10, 2022, after a judgment was entered in the case.

A few days later, it came to light that the couple had signed a prenuptial agreement 11 days before their wedding. Per the agreement, Hough and Laich declined to receive spousal support in the divorce and did not share any community properties.

Updated by
Kate Hogan
Kate Hogan
Kate Hogan is Director of Digital Specials and Features at PEOPLE, as well as the editor of Stories to Make You Smile. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2008.