Julianne Hough’s ex-husband, Brooks Laich, played a special part in Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert’s wedding day.
Laich, 40, was one of Derek’s six groomsmen at the nuptials on Saturday, August 26. The former NHL player posed on the opposite end of Julianne, 35, in a group photo of the bridal party shared by People on Sunday, August 27. Dancing With the Stars’ Mark Ballas (who was the best man) and Britt Stewart were among other notable faces in Derek, 38, and Erbert’s bridal party.
While Laich twinned with Derek and his fellow groomsmen in black tuxedos, white dress shirts and black bow ties, Julianne looked radiant in a V-neck champagne silk gown. Her bridesmaid bouquet of pink and white flowers matched Erbert’s as well as the ceremony’s floral décor.
Julianne’s reunion with Laich at her brother’s wedding comes three years after they called it quits following nearly three years of marriage. “We have lovingly and carefully taken the time we have needed to arrive at our decision to separate,” the duo — who began dating in 2013 — said in a May 2020 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.”
That same month, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the split “was a long time coming,” adding, “They argued a lot and just had different viewpoints on important issues.”
Though they briefly reconciled that September, Julianne ultimately filed for divorce from Laich in November 2020. Their divorce was finalized in June 2022. Laich has since moved on with Icelandic athlete Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir.
Despite the breakup, Derek has clearly maintained his friendship with Laich. Days after their initial split, an insider told Us Derek did “not have any animosity” toward his sister’s ex, noting that he “saw that they were figuring out themselves as individuals and that they weren’t a match as a couple, but that doesn’t take away their love for Brooks as a person.”
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Throughout his sister’s relationship ups and downs, Derek exclusively told Us in October 2020 that he just wants Julianne to be “happy.” He continued: “I think that’s what we all want, right? We just want all of our family, we want all of our friends and everybody to be happy. And then if we can help that, then we’re happy to do it.”
Earlier this year, Julianne told Page Six that she was ready to have a “hot girl summer” one year after her divorce was finalized. However, when asked whether her summer plans would involve a new romance, she told the outlet, “No!”
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