Julianne Hough Opens Up About Losing Her Dogs and Ending Her Marriage

Actress Julianne Hough has shared a heart-wrenching story about the tumultuous period when she ended her marriage to Brooks Laich and lost her two beloved dogs.

In a recent episode, Hough, 36, recalled the devastating experience, saying, “I had asked for a separation, and then 10 days later, my dogs were killed by coyotes.” She described how the loss of her dogs, which represented unconditional love and safety, left her feeling lost and unsure about her decision to separate from Laich. “I’m like, ‘Whoa, what am I doing? I’m blowing up my life.'”

Hough had made the difficult decision to separate from Laich, 41, because she felt something wasn’t working in their relationship. However, she didn’t expect to be grieving the loss of her pets at the same time. “I woke up before my phone even rang, and I knew. And I picked up the phone, and my assistant at the time was just screaming,” she shared.

Hough has since found peace, saying she’s “grateful they went together.” She added, “Usually, how it happens is very quick, and that we got their bodies… Going through any kind of loss is painful, even if it is the right thing. And so, as that was happening, I was just experiencing pain out of a decision that I felt like was the right thing for me. And also, they were experiencing pain, so that was just really painful.”

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Hollywood has mourned the loss of many celebrities. One of the most notable was Christian Oliver, the Speed Racer star who died in a fatal plane crash at the age of 51.

Hough and Laich tied the knot in 2017 after four years of dating. They sparked split speculation in early 2020 when they spent time apart during the COVID pandemic and subsequently announced their separation later that year. The former couple’s divorce was finalized in June 2022.

The duo “argued a lot” before calling it quits, citing differences in their viewpoints on important issues. Hough has since spoken about the difficulties she faced during the experience, saying, “It wasn’t right. That can be a hard thing to fully accept… I feel like our relationship and our marriage was exactly right, and the end of it is right too. We both have regrets that it didn’t work out, because I don’t think we had the maturity to come together.”

Related: Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich: The Way They Were

Dancing through life! Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich were a picture-perfect couple from 2014 to 2020. The former Dancing With the Stars pro’s Curve costar Teddy Sears introduced the couple in December 2013, but the actor had been trying to set them up since long before that. Take a trip down memory lane and revisit the ups and downs of their romance.