Brooks Laich wanted to save his marriage with Julianne Hough

Brooks Laich reportedly wanted to save his marriage with Julianne Hough, but the latter's behaviour left him with no option but to end their marriage.

A source has claimed to Us Weekly that Brooks Laich did not want to divorce Julianne Hough, but he had to ultimately agree to end their marriage of three years because of the dancer's actions. "Her actions are what caused her divorce with Brooks. Brooks did not want a divorce, but he felt pushed toward it because of how Julianne was behaving. But Brooks is not the one who is bummed now," the source claimed.

The insider added that even those closest to the "Footloose" actress are confused by her decision to call it quits with the ice hockey star, as "her friends think Brooks was an amazing, strapping dude and aren't sure why she let him go or messed it up."

The source added that while Laich has accepted Hough's decision, he hasn't been able to move on from her. "Brooks doesn't have anyone new in his life right now romantically speaking," the insider revealed.

There have been several signs that the 37-year-old had been trying to save their marriage. Not only he was spotted with his wedding band even after Hough removed hers, but he also surprised her with a cooked from scratch breakfast by him during initial days of self-isolation amidst coronavirus pandemic. However, he later moved to a cottage with his husky and spent the lockdown away from his wife.

The estranged couple, who have remained friendly throughout their separation, announced their split in May with a joint statement. "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," the duo stated.

The split came months after a source claimed to People magazine that the 31-year-old actress still loves Laich, but has become a completely different person than she was at the time of their marriage.

Meanwhile, a source previously told Us Weekly that the split "was a long time coming" as the couple "argued a lot and just had different viewpoints on important issues." The insider added that the duo had been focusing on "trying to find themselves separate from one another and deal with any issues they've faced that were exasperated while married."

A separate source told the outlet earlier this month that the actress, who recently showed that things are cordial between her and her estranged husband by complimenting him on his new hairstyle on Instagram, is herself "not doing great right now" and "is super upset" by the split.

Laich, meanwhile, was spotted in public last week for the first time since the split. In pictures obtained by Mail Online, he was seen without his wedding ring while spending time with friends in Los Angeles. The former ice hockey player recently celebrated his 37th birthday, for which he was joined by Hough's brother Derek Hough as well as the latter's girlfriend Hayley Erbert on the occasion.