Clues Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich Were Headed for Splitsville Before Their Breakup

Bound for a breakup. Julianne Hough and Brooks Laich announced they were separating after three years of marriage and six years together on Friday, May 29. However, news of their split didn’t come as a surprise for many. The pair have been rumored to be heading for heartbreak since they started experiencing “marriage woes” in January, a source told In Touch at the time.

After tying the knot in 2017, they “matured into different people” during the course of their marriage, the source explained. “Brooks is still coming to terms with his hockey career being over. He’s working on finding himself. Being a sports player, with set goals, I think he struggled to understand Julianne’s free-spirited nature.”

While they may have grown apart, “that doesn’t mean they still don’t love each other deeply,” the insider added. In a last-ditch effort to mend their relationship, the couple decided to quarantine separately amid the coronavirus pandemic to see if they would enjoy or dislike the distance.

“It was Julianne’s decision to not self-isolate together,” another source told In Touch in April. “She feels it’s good for both of them to get some breathing space.” While the Dancing With the Stars alum, 31, stayed at their marital home in Los Angeles, Brooks, 36, left for their country house in Idaho in March.

During an Instagram Live, the Safe Haven star said she is relishing in her “me time” while the podcast host is “doing lots of yard work,” at their northwestern home, adding, “It’s been a really magical time.”

Despite taking time for themselves, the professional dancer was spotted on a walk with Chronicles of Narnia actor Ben Barnes on April 16. The former hockey player was “OK” with quarantining apart from his wife until he learned the Footloose alum was spending time alone with Ben, the second source explained. “Brooks still loves Julianne and wants to make their marriage work, but the bottom line is they’re not on the same page. She’s too out there for his liking and he can’t keep up with her wackiness and unconventional views on life.”

Scroll through the gallery below for a look at all the hints leading Julianne and Brooks to their unfortunate split.