Julianne Hough Reflects on Death of Her Dogs With Ex Ryan Seacrest

Julianne Hough is turning her pain into art.

The Dancing With The Stars host shared that five years after the sudden death of her dogs Harley and Lexi, she found inspiration in the tragedy, channeling it into her new novel Everything We Never Knew.

"I haven't talked about that," Julianne explained to ex Ryan Seacrest on his radio show On Air Aug. 12. "But it is in the book—the loss and the grief of Lexi and Harley."

"There are all these little Easter eggs," she noted of her book. "If you know and have followed my journey personally, you will find little things here and there."

In fact, she even named the main character Lexi in honor of her beloved pets.

She hasn't publicly spoken about the 2019 deaths of her two Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dogs since sharing the heartbreaking news, but four years later, she decided to bring another dog into her life, Sunny. And Julianne couldn't help but reflect on her love for her past pets while celebrating her pup's birthday.

"Sunny, you have brought so much love and literal sunshine into my life," she wrote on Instagram last month. "I can’t remember a time without you. Lexi & Harley would have loved and played with you everyday and I know that they sent you to me, only when I was ready to open my heart and love again - you cracked me open sweetheart."

Julianne previously shared a tribute to her late pups with a loving tribute following their passing.

"Pure love is real, it existed through us," she reflected on Instagram in September 2019. "My heart expanded and felt the truth of what is possible. I am forever grateful. Thank you for your love. Thank you for being my babies, my daughters. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for teaching me how to be your mother. Thank you for allowing me to give and receive love. Thank you for your kisses. Thank you for your blessings every single minute of every single day."

She also noted how she found solace in their presence during her hardest times, like while she was recovering from her laparoscopies for her endometriosis. She shared a side-by-side from her 2008 and 2018 procedure after her second, writing at the time, "My guardian angel Lexi."

"LEXI always knows when I'm sick, feeling sad, or when I need her, and I don't even know it," she continued. "Dogs are just incredible!!! I love my Lexi soooo much!!!!"