Julianne Hough and husband Brooks Laich have been taking some time apart as they face “problems” in their marriage.
“They definitely have been going through a rough patch,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. “They have both been in different places for work so they haven’t been able to spend as much time together this past few months.”
A family tragedy has not made things any easier for the couple. “The unexpected deaths of their dogs also really hit them hard and has been something that’s been really difficult for both of them to work through,” the insider adds.
Hough, 31, announced in October 2019 that her dogs, Lexi and Harley, died on the same day the month before. Laich, 36, shared on Instagram at the time that “their tragic passing has left my wife and I heartbroken” and “the immense pain we feel by their loss is due to the overwhelming love we had for them.”
Us broke the news on Wednesday, January 8, that the Dancing With the Stars alum and the hockey player “were having problems” in December 2019. A separate source noted that “everyone knows something is up.”
Hough hinted at issues in their marriage when she ditched her wedding ring on multiple occasions, including in Instagram videos posted on December 24 and January 3. She also opted out of sporting the bauble during NBC’s New Year’s Eve, which she cohosted on December 31 with Laich in attendance. The athlete, however, has not been spotted without his band as of yet.
The “How Men Think” podcast host got real about his expectations for the new year on Tuesday, January 7. “I feel like a lot of my life has been ‘bound’ to certain identities that have come through the sport I spent my life playing. Canadian, male, hockey player, disciplined, competitive, etc… and though I am all of those things, they do not define me, and I am not bound by them,” he explained via Instagram. “In 2020, I look forward to releasing old identities, and stepping into a new chapter in my life.”
Hough, for her part, commented, “So beautiful,” adding a red heart emoji.
The pair began dating in early 2014 and got engaged in August 2015. They wed in July 2017.
