The Scary Medical Emergency Derek Hough's Wife Hayley Erbert Suffered

"Dancing With the Stars" has had a surprising amount of couples work together on the show, such as Val Chmerkovsky and Jenna Johnson, and Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov. Another couple on the show consists of a troupe dancer (part of the background group of dancers on the show) and a pro: Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert. The couple met in 2014 when Erbert joined Derek and Julianne Hough's tour. They publicly confirmed their relationship in May 2017 and got engaged in June 2022. After a year of engagement, Hough and Erbert tied the knot in August 2023. However, what should have been the next few months spent in newlywed bliss turned into an unexpected health scare.

Just a few months after Hough and Erbert's wedding, in December 2023, the couple was performing on Hough's Symphony of Dance tour in Washington D.C. when Erbert became confused and disoriented. She was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a life-threatening brain injury before being rushed to surgery.  However, with the severity of her injury, that was only the start of a long recovery.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Hayley Erbert was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma. According to the Mayo Clinic, an intracranial hematoma occurs when blood collects in the brain due to a burst blood vessel. To treat the injury, Erbert was taken in for a craniectomy, a surgery where part of the skull is removed to relieve the pressure on the brain. A few weeks after the initial surgery, Erbert had a cranioplasty done to repair the skull after the craniectomy. Hough shared an update on his social media on December 21, 2023 after Erbert underwent the two operations.

"With immense relief, gratitude and overwhelming joy I'd like to share that Hayley's cranioplasty surgery has been successfully completed as planned," he wrote on Instagram. "This surgery marks a significant milestone in my wife's recovery journey, and your support has played a crucial role in getting us here. We are filled with hope and optimism for the future, knowing she is on the path to a full recovery, surrounded by such a loving community."

The medical emergency rattled the couple, but it seemed like Erbert was well on the road to recovery over the holidays. Hough posted a photo of the two of them on Instagram on December 25 to remind his followers the true meaning of the holidays, saying, "Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas! Cherishing the greatest gift of all. The precious gift of life and the love we share. Hold your loved ones close and treasure every moment."

Amidst Hayley Erbert's continued recovery from the two brain surgeries she underwent, in January 2024, Derek Hough received his fourth Emmy win for Outstanding Choreography. Hough commemorated the win on his Instagram, dedicating the award to Erbert after the harrowing month they had just been through.

"To my wife, @hayley.erbert this one's for you," he wrote. "The centerpiece and muse of this dance. This journey, these moments, they are all the more precious because of what we've endured together."

The love and appreciation obviously goes both ways, as Erbert celebrated the win with her husband in California after spending December and early January in Washington, D.C. She wrote on Instagram: "What a way to be welcomed home after such an unfathomable month. @derekhough, you continue to amaze me with your drive, brilliance and commitment to excellence. I have loved being able to witness and be a part of your journey this year and cannot wait to see what else the future holds."