DWTS’ Derek Hough Recalls Heart-Shattering Moment: ‘Pure Fear’
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Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough and his wife, Hayely Erbert, went through hell the past year but they’ve found their way back to the dance floor. Almost a year after Herbert survived a near-death experience resulting in her hospitalization and undergoing emergency surgery, the former Dancing With the Stars troupe member returned to the dance floor with her husband for a special performance during Season 33’s “Dedication” night in honor of what she’s been through in the past year.
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“It just all came to a screeching halt in the most devastating way,” Hough recalled in an introduction package before his and Erbert’s performance. “I was on stage, and she’s supposed to come out. The stage manager walked out and just said, ‘Hey, she’s not coming on stage.’ She was on the side of the stage having full seizures and, essentially, dying. It’s really hard to even put into words other than just pure fear.”
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He continued, “We rush her to the hospital, she’s still in her costume, and the doctor came to me and he said that, ‘She has a severe brain bleed, so we have to operate right now. He said that she might not make it and that even if she does make it, she won’t be the same person.”
What happened to Derek Hough’s wife?
Hough revealed news in an Instagram post two days after Dancing With the Stars‘ Season 32 finale in December 2023 that Erbert was hospitalized and rushed into emergency surgery after suffering from a cranial hematoma — a condition in which blood collects in the skull — after complaining of symptoms while on their Symphony of Dance tour.
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“At the end of last night’s tour performance in Washington, D.C., my wife Hayley became disoriented and was taken to the hospital,” Hough wrote at the time. “She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy. She is in stable condition.”
He continued, “I want to thank the first responders and medical personnel who have cared for and continue to care for her. I ask for your prayers and positivity during this time.” Hough gave an update to Herbert’s health in another Instagram post days later in which he revealed that his wife had successfully made it of surgery and was “now on the long road to recovery.”
“Hayley has always inspired me with her will, her strength, and her resilience and no more so than in the last 48 hrs,” Hough said. “Words cannot express how grateful and thankful we are for the support and love that you have given us.” He continued, “The kindness that we’ve been shown in this incredibly unfathomable, and life changing time is immeasurable. The offers of assistance that have poured in have been so humbling and appreciated. Our hope is that as a family, we can somehow and some way pay it forward.”
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Hough provided more details on Erbert’s health in another Instagram post at time, in which he revealed that his wife needed to undergo a second surgery to replace a piece of her skull that was removed during her craniectomy to relieve pressure in her brain from her cranial hematoma. “As you all know, the past week has been a challenging journey for us due to a life-threatening event that suddenly came into our lives,” Hough wrote in a joint Instagram post with Erbert. “It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage, to a nightmare in an instant. But today, we are filled with hope and relief as we share with you an update. Hayley is doing well.”
He continued, “Her recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle. She still has a ways to go with another surgery, hopefully in a few weeks, to insert a skull implant to replace the piece that was removed during the craniectomy. It will restore the skull to its natural shape and protect the brain from injury. Thank you for the incredible support and medical care she has received. It’s been a profound reminder of how fragile life can be and how quickly things can change. But, it has also shown us the incredible strength and resilience that lies within us and the power of having a supportive community around us.”
He ended his post by thanking Dancing With the Stars fans for their support. “We cannot express enough gratitude to each of you for your unwavering support, messages, prayers and undeniable loving energy we have both felt during this time. While this isn’t the holiday season either of us envisioned, it’s one that we’re incredibly grateful to have. We look forward to cherishing these moments with a deeper appreciation for life and the people in it,” he wrote.
Hough and Erbert married in 2023 after meeting in 2014 after Erbert was hired by Hough and his sister, Julianne Hough, as a dancer for their tour. They didn’t start dating until 2015 when Erbert joined Dancing With the Stars as a troupe member.
Dancing With the Stars is available to stream on Disney Plus.
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