In a heartfelt and urgent Instagram post, “Dancing with the Stars” judge Derek Hough shared a deeply personal crisis, reaching out to his fans for their support and prayers for his beloved wife, Hayley Erbert. The post, which quickly amassed a flood of comments from concerned fans and friends, revealed a sudden and alarming turn of events following a performance in Washington, D.C.
Derek Hough posted a captionless screenshot of a note he had written to his fans on December 7, 2023. In the screenshot, he mentioned that his wife, Hayley Erbert, had become disoriented after a tour performance in Washington, D.C.
Hough confirmed that his wife had been rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma caused by a burst blood vessel. Hough’s wife underwent an emergency craniectomy, and he confirmed she was in stable condition. He ended the note by saying, “I ask for your prayers and positivity during this time.”
Ebert and Hough met in 2014 when Hough and his sister hired her to dance on their “Move Live on Tour 2014” show. Initially, Hough was only impressed with Erbert’s talent, but it soon became a loving relationship.
Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough at the 4th Annual Critics Choice Real TV Awards | Source: Getty Images
After dating for seven years, Hough finally popped the question. In a candlelit room filled with flower petals and pampas grass, Hough asked Erbert if she would be his wife. They shared the news with a sweet photo of the pair embracing on Instagram.
In August this year, the pair tied the knot in Monterey County, California. They had an intimate wedding of 106 guests and exchanged vows in front of a mother tree surrounded by smaller trees.
Erbert said the mother tree dropped seedlings that planted an army of smaller trees to protect the mother and revealed that the symbolism was that she and Hough were there planting the seeds for their future family.