Derek Hough's wife Hayley Erbert on 'long road of recovery' after emergency craniectomy, hospitalization

"Hayley has always inspired me with her will, her strength, and her resilience and no more so than in the last 48 hrs," says the "Dancing With the Stars" judge.

By
Emlyn Travis
Emlyn Travis

Emlyn Travis is a news writer at Entertainment Weekly with over five years of experience covering the latest in entertainment. A proud Kingston University alum, Emlyn has written about music, fandom, film, television, and awards for multiple outlets including MTV News, Teen Vogue, Bustle, BuzzFeed, Paper Magazine, Dazed, and NME. She joined EW in August 2022.

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Updated on December 11, 2023 11:53AM EST

Derek Hough says his wife, Hayley Erbert, is “on the long road of recovery” after she was hospitalized and underwent an emergency craniectomy earlier this week.

“Hayley has always inspired me with her will, her strength, and her resilience and no more so than in the last 48 hrs,” the Dancing With the Stars judge wrote Friday on Instagram. “She is now on the long road of recovery.”

“Words cannot express how grateful and thankful we are for the support and love that you have given us,” Hough 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.”

He concluded, “Our hope is that as a family, we can somehow and some way pay it forward.”

Hough announced on social media Wednesday that Erbert was taken to the hospital after she had become “disoriented” at the end of their Symphony of Dance concert stop in Washington, D.C. There, he wrote, she was “diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy” and was in “stable condition.”

In the comments of Hough’s latest update, fellow stars Nina Dobrev, Chrishell Stause, and Emma Slater shared their support for the couple.

“No need to repay any prayers,” Dancing With the Stars cohost Alfonso Ribeiro wrote. “We are all holding you both in our hearts.”

Jennifer Love Hewitt added, “Haven’t stopped praying and won’t stop. So glad you have each other and beautiful families to help her and you. Sending you all healing and love.”

DWTS season 32 contestant Mira Sorvino wrote, “I am so heartened to hear she is recovering. Thank God! Our family sends all our love to yours!!”

Hough and Erbert, who first met on the So You Think You Can Dance tour in 2013, struck up a relationship years later when she joined the Dancing With the Stars troupe. The couple got engaged in 2022 after five years of dating and were married in August. 

Erbert is recovering from a craniectomy. An earlier version of this post said she had a craniotomy.

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