Julianne Hough is back to her familiar haunt as the host of Dancing with the Stars, after having long worked on the show as a pro dancer and also a judge.
The 36-year-old entertainer has been a mainstay of the competition reality show for nearly two decades, and over the course of that time, has gone through several ups and downs in her personal life, most notably her love life.
Julianne often is quite private when it comes to her relationships and love life, but during her time in the spotlight, she has shared glimpses into her romances, some of which have also permeated the walls of DWTS as well.
Below, read up on what you need to know about Julianne's love life, from her most notable famous exes to her frank discussions about her sexuality…
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© Getty ImagesZack Wilson
In 2006, when Julianne first moved to Los Angeles, she was engaged to her childhood friend-turned-sweetheart Zack Wilson. She told Glamour in 2012: "When I first came to L.A. …I was engaged to someone else, a guy I knew from Utah who had served a Mormon mission."
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They postponed their wedding briefly in 2007 before calling it quits soon after. "He was a great guy — I'd known him since I was nine," she told the publication. "And actually, he ended up marrying my childhood best friend, and now they have a kid together. It was a little weird when it happened, but they're a great couple!"
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© Getty ImagesChuck Wicks
In 2008, Julianne met country musician Chuck Wicks while touring with Brad Paisley and they quickly fell in love. They made it official when they attended the CMA Awards together later that year, and in 2009, Chuck and Julianne competed together on DWTS, placing sixth.
By the end of 2009, they broke up, although attended that year's CMA Awards together one more time as exes. Chuck confessed on his podcast in 2020 that things weren't all dandy with Julianne after the split, though, and hadn't kept in touch much. He is now married to Kasi Rosa Wicks and they share one son, plus he is a stepdad to her three daughters from previous marriages.
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© Getty ImagesRyan Seacrest
In 2010, Julianne began a relationship with American Idol host Ryan Seacrest, even admitting later that she could tell Ryan was flirting with her when she was on his radio show with Chuck. Despite their 13 year age gap, they quickly fell in love and engagement reports frequently swirled.
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In March 2013, Julianne and Ryan ended their relationship. Since then, however, they've remained friends and spoken very fondly of each other. Julianne even confessed during an appearance on Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert recently that she was afraid Ryan would think she was "using him" due to their differing levels of fame at the time.
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© Getty ImagesBrooks Laich
In early 2014, it was revealed that Julianne was dating NHL player Brooks Laich, and in 2015, they announced their engagement. They tied the knot in 2017 in a beautiful outdoor ceremony in Idaho with friends and family present.
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They announced their separation in 2020, but attempted a reconciliation before Julianne filed for divorce that November, finalized in 2022. Brooks is now engaged to Icelandic CrossFit athlete Katrín Davíðsdóttir, and the pair are still friends. Julianne said on Armchair Expert: "I feel like our relationship and our marriage was exactly right, and the end of it is right too."
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© Getty ImagesHer sexuality
Julianne has been candid about her sexuality and being a member of the LGBTQ+ community. She told Women's Health in 2019: "I [told Brooks], 'You know I'm not straight, right?' And he was like, 'I'm sorry, what?' I was like, 'I'm not. But I choose to be with you.'"
Earlier this year on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, she further added: "I think for me, it was very much like — it's not about being straight or gay or bi or queer. It's more about, 'I think I'm just learning what love is and I love people and I don't know what I'm attracted to, but I choose you.'"
