From the dance floor to every step of life together
Around the dance floor Derek Hough is the one who takes the lead when he twirls Hayley Erbert, but they are side by side, taking one step at a time in life. They are not only a professional duo; the pair was on a combined tour no less than three times last year after Hayley’s super-fast recovery from an emergency skull surgery to treat a cranial hematoma she had in December 2023. The moment for their promise of all‑in‑life was only four months after the wedding — and that moment was the test which put them on stage when she came back to Dancing With the Stars last October to dance with Derek to Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things.” The scene was very moving and heartfelt and, therefore, no one at the venue could hold back his tears.
“We’ve already experienced a lot of marriage” — and now they’re expecting three
“We basically did everything that married couples do, but only in a year and a half,” Derek said to E! News in March. “We spent a lot of time in hold with my wife and as a result, we found a really good balance. We love it. We’re actually really fortunate. We were just being grateful every day. There’s so much to be grateful for.”
While they have been masters of the pas de deux, they are now preparing for a three-person dance party: in July, the announcement of the pregnancy of Hayley — her 31st birthday is Oct. 11 — their first baby was made by the couple.
From romantic evenings to “#babyhough”: partners both on and off the floor
On October 6, after attending the Tron: Ares red carpet premiere, Derek, 40, shared a reel with the caption, “Date Night with my Babies,” He has been referring to his family and himself as “babies” in several of his posts since “#babyhough” came up. Although their relationship has been a source of struggle at times, both of them refuse to imagine going through life without each other as dance partners. Hayley was introduced to her husband when he and his sister Julianne invited the Move Live on Tour 2014 native to be their choreographer and she became the DWTS pro troupe member the year after.
From skepticism to “walking through fire” together
They had their first date back in 2015, but it took time until Derek came up with a proposal idea. On a November 2023 episode of Couple Things With Shawn Johnson and Andrew East, the six‑time DWTS champion confessed that he associated marriage with negativity due to the divorce of his parents. “For me, it was like, what’s the point? Like, I’m OK, maybe it’s not something for me.” Eventually, they decided to be around “married couples in great relationships” — and his point of view changed, he said. Nevertheless, he and Hayley “10 different versions of our relationship” they had, Derek revealed. “We talked about it in our vows, we walked through fire together… We’ve been through some confusing obstacles, wild moments that would usually crush and destroy couples.”
Ending one chapter to begin the next
“He went on, ‘There were moments when our connection was finished and it was lifeless—and I really mean that in a beautiful way.’ Similar to, ‘This relationship is at an end but we can update the version of us… Now let’s move forward with this new chapter of who we are as a team.’ Hayley also mentioned that each time they fell in love again, ‘was more wonderful than the previous ones.’ They became partners on Aug. 26, 2023, a lovely outdoor wedding at the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, Calif., their husband‑ and‑ wife period started.”
A wedding day made just for them
Hayley, wearing custom Marchesa, said that even though the view was amazing, “I don’t recall seeing any of it. I was, like, totally tunnel vision to Derek the whole time that I didn’t hear anyone.”
Derek said that it was definitely her who planned their entire party: “As far as the running, the managing – just like the logistics, the way she literally did that whole thing. It was brilliant.”
And indeed, the dancing at the reception was 10 out of 10. As Hayley expressed it, “You are under pressure, because you are like, ‘This is literally a once in a lifetime thing, it must be perfect.’ But then I was like, really, it just has to be perfect for us.”
From honeymoon bliss to an unthinkable health scare
Twice a week, the newlyweds spent their honeymoon in Italy, then they went off on their two‑week tour. On the podcast Couple Things, Derek talked about keeping his perspective one day at a time when dealing with all the changes and growth, saying, “I think if I look at all things at once, I will be overwhelmed” — little did they know they would be put to a test a month later. Dec. 6, 2023, right after their gig in Washington, D.C., Hayley got so sick that she had to be taken to the operating theatre immediately to release the brain pressure caused by the rupture of a blood vessel in her head.
Planting roots through life’s beautiful mess
On the episode, Derek explained, “That was a part of the symbolism for us getting married and having dinner in the garden. It was the concept of growth, the idea of things in nature are not clean. It’s tangled, it’s unbelievable , it’s messy, it’s this and that, but it’s so beautiful.”
He shared with E! that he couldn’t be happier to be putting down roots with Hayley and he had a vision of becoming a father dancing around his head. As he said, “Our love has just deepened, and it’s gotten stronger and better.” All their experiences, he referred to them as “just makes you reflect and take stock of how important life is.”
