Derek Hough Tears Up Recalling Wife Hayley Erbert’s Brain Surgery on ‘DWTS’

Before performing in the Dancing With the Stars ballroom with his wife, Derek Hough looked back at Hayley Erbert’s health scare.

A sneak peek of the package that will air on the Tuesday, October 15, episode begins with a clip from their wedding day in August 2023. “With all of my heart, I love you, Hayley,” Hough, 39, told Erbert, 30, at the altar.

Flashing forward, Hough reflects on their newlywed life. “It was kind of a crazy time because there was so much happening,” he says in the package. “Newlyweds. Just married the woman I love.”

The video cuts to Erbert on their wedding day, proclaiming, “I have always known it was you, Derek.” Confetti shot around the couple after they exchanged their vows.

Hough explains that the season 32 finale of DWTS — where Xochitl Gomez and Val Chmerkovskiy were crowned the champions of the Len Goodman Mirrorball Trophy — had “just happened” before their lives changed.

After the finale in December 2023, Hough and Erbert were “heading back out on the road” for the final leg of their Symphony of Dance Tour.

“Living out our dreams on stage, doing what we love with the person that we love, and then it all just came to a screeching halt in the most devastating way,” Hough says.

Hough recalls being on stage and waiting for Erbert to join him during their tour. “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,” he says.

Hough says it was “really hard to put into words” besides feeling “pure fear” at the moment. “We rushed her to the hospital, she’s still in her costume,” Hough explains.

“The doctor came to me and he said that she has a severe brain bleed, so we have to operate right now,” Hough recalls through tears. “He said that she might not make it. And that even if she does make it, she won’t be the same person.”

In December 2023, Hough shared that Erbert underwent an emergency craniectomy after suffering from a hematoma. Weeks later, she had a second surgery to replace a large portion of her skull that was removed in the initial procedure.

The pair went on to spend the holidays “feeling overwhelmed with gratitude that the surgery was a success, and Hayley is on the mend,” an insider exclusively told Us Weekly at the time. The source noted that the scare gave them “a new appreciation for their life together.”

Erbert ultimately returned to the studio in March and received a standing ovation from the crowd one month later at her first show back. The pair are also teaming up for another project, which they teased exclusively to Us in August.

“We’re actually working on something right now,” Hough revealed at the time. “That we’re looking forward to sharing with people.” He added, “It’s going to be really beautiful.”

Dancing With the Stars airs simultaneously on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET. Episodes are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ the next day.