Julianne Hough Officially Files for Divorce From Brooks Laich
So much for a happy ending.
Despite all signs pointing to a reconciliation between Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich, E! News confirms the Dancing With the Stars alum has officially filed for divorce from the retired hockey pro. Julianne and Brooks first announced their separation in late May, however the exes began spending more and more time together in the months that followed.
A source tells E! News, "It was Julianne who initiated their split, but she was really struggling with it and felt torn."
According to a second insider, the 32-year-old is "still having a hard time" with her decision to file for divorce, but she "ultimately decided her heart wasn't in the marriage anymore and wanted to give herself the freedom and independence to experience new things."
She and Brooks, 37, were recently spending time together in Idaho, but our sources say Julianne returned home without him.
As recently as September, however, the pair was ready for a fresh start. "They're both putting in the effort to be the couple they want to be and it seems they've almost fully reconciled," a source explained to E! News at the time.
Julianne Hough & Brooks Laich: Romance Rewind
As for what led the longtime couple back to each other following their initial split, a separate source shared, "With the world now on pause, Julianne doesn't have the distractions she had several months ago and finds herself missing Brooks. It really hit her over her birthday that maybe she moved too quickly and didn't appreciate what she and Brooks had together."
"At first Brooks was not open to reconciling," the source explained further. "She bruised his ego and left him feeling humiliated, but he never stopped loving her. He was doing all of this to give her what she needed. Now that some has passed, it seems like he's more open to the idea of reconciling."
Perhaps it was just too little, too late for the stars, who exchanged vows in the summer of 2017 and had been together since 2013.
In their May statement announcing their breakup, Julianne and Brooks shared, "We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate. 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."
E! News reached out to reps for both celebs.
TMZ was first to report the news.