NEWSJulianne Hough Keeps Brother Derek Close After Stressing Over His Friendship With Ex-Husband Brooks Laich
Julianne and Derek Hough have been staying close in work and life.
On Sunday, March 13, the Dancing With the Stars pro, 33, shared a photo to her Instagram Story of herself and her talented brother, Derek Hough, in the middle of their rehearsal for the upcoming Step Into The Movies pre-Oscar Special airing on ABC.
The two blonde entertainers can be seen smiling from ear-to-ear as they posed with High School Musical director Kenny Ortega and fellow dancer Christopher Scott.
Both Julianne and Derek, 36, are set to headline the prime-time event — airing one week before the Academy Awards — that will feature the siblings, in addition to choreographers and professional dancers as they recreate legendary cinematic performances.
The joint venture comes as a source exclusively told OK! the brother-sister duo hit a bit of a rough patch over the fact that the World of Dance star remained close to his sibling's ex-husband, Brooks Laich, even after he and Julianne divorced.
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While the Footloose star "never asked Derek to take sides," the insider explained, "when her marriage ended she figured his friendship with Brooks would as well," adding that Derek has been spending a lot of time with the ex-hockey pro, 38, and his new athlete fiancée, Katrín Davíðsdóttir, 28.
“They work out and party together and are having a blast,” dished the source, noting that since the ballroom star has four sisters, “it’s no surprise Brooks became like a brother to him over the seven years he was with Julianne."
In fact, Derek and Brooks are so close that "Julianne wouldn’t be surprised if her brother ends up being the best man at Brooks’ wedding!" Nevertheless, "She doesn’t want to be the subject of conversation,” the insider continued of the blonde bombshell. “She’s worried that Derek is spilling the beans on what she’s up to.”
Julianne and Brooks officially parted ways in 2020 after tying the knot in 2017. The former pair recently finalized the terms of their divorce, with the Safe Haven actress filing a declaration for uncontested dissolution on February 22.
