14 DAY TRIAL // They say it’s always a bad idea to compare lovers or relationships but, in Julianne Hough’s case, that’s to the advantage of her current beau, hockey player Brooks Laich. Julianne’s previous boyfriend was media mogul Ryan Seacrest, whom she dated for 3 years before they broke up in 2013.
She’s never been shy about how much pressure came with dating such a high-profile figure, but she’s never been as honest about it as she is now, in an interview with the latest issue of Redbook magazine: she always felt she had to be at the top of her game when they were together.
Still, it always felt like it was never enough.
“There was nothing wrong or bad, but there was nothing right. I had one foot out because I didn't want to get hurt. And I didn't say what was on my mind because I didn't want to ruffle any feathers. I needed to be perfect,” Julianne says.
She doesn’t say whether she felt like she needed to be perfect for him or for the media, but one gets the distinct impression that she’s not talking only about putting up a perfect front for the latter.
Some time ago, when he spoke about his relationship with Julianne, Seacrest did say that he was not an easy man to live with, mostly because he worked so much and sacrificed so much of his personal life to his career. Perhaps he hinted at something more with this observation, and we never knew about it.
Whichever it was, Julianne says she’s learned her lesson so, this time, with Brooks, she’s doing things differently, starting with the fact that they’re honest to each other about everything, no matter what.
“Now I'm not holding anything back because I'd rather get my heart broken than never know what it is to be completely, madly in love. If I had been this open in my last relationship, who knows?” she continues.
As for what brought on this realization that she could have done things differently in her previous romance, the star says she attended a seminar on destiny that was pretty much an eye-opener for her, even though she was very resistant to what she was hearing at first.
Julianne and Brooks have been dating since last December and went public in February this year. From what she’s telling Redbook, he’s definitely a keeper.
Ryan, meanwhile, is yet to get into another serious relationship after Julianne.