Derek Hough found the love of his life on the dance floor. The Dancing With the Stars judge married his wife, Hayley Erbert, after nearly a decade of dating, and the couple gushed that their wedding was a “like a fairytale.” However, the duo experienced a frightening ordeal in early December after Hayley was hospitalized for a cranial hematoma. Although Derek confirmed in a statement that she was “in stable condition,” he asked fans for prayers.
Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about Derek’s wife, Hayley.
Derek Hough’s Wife Hayley Erbert Is a Dancer
Derek isn’t the only ballroom expert in his relationship. Hayley has been dancing for most of her life, having reportedly worked with Paula Abdul and Pitbull in the past. She was in the top six on season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance and served as one of DWTS’ troupe dancers. Now, Hayley is working on the reality competition show’s tour A Night to Remember.
Before joining the cast of DWTS, Hayley worked with Derek and his sister, Julianne Hough, on their Move Live! tour in 2014.
Since they’re both dance floor pros, Derek and Hayley performed together during the quarantined “Disney Family Singalong” in 2020. The lovebirds performed Beauty and the Beast’s “Be Our Guest.”
How Long Have Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert Been Together?
The pair first met in 2014 while Hayley worked alongside Derek and Julianne on their Move Live! tour. The following year, the dancers started dating and have been together since then.
Derek and Hayley announced their engagement in July 2022, and the Emmy Award nominee created the perfect backdrop for his proposal: candles and countless white rose petals.
When Did Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert Get Married?
One year after getting engaged, the pair tied the knot in a beautiful cliffside ceremony in Carmel, California, surrounded by their families and friends.
“When we were thinking about location, we asked ourselves, ‘What’s important to us?'” Derek explained to PEOPLE following their nuptials. “Nature was the first thing. We want to be around trees and plants, and Northern California kind of spoke out to us. We just want people to experience this place that we love, this nature, but also, it just feels incredibly romantic.”
The Salt Lake City, Utah, native added that his and Hayley’s wedding ceremony was “like a fairytale,” while she gushed that she knew they would both cry after exchanging vows.
What Happened to Hayley Erbert?
Amid their “Symphony of Dance” tour in December 2023, Derek revealed that Hayley was hospitalized after suffering from cranial hematoma.
“At the end of last night’s tout performance in Washington, D.C., my wife Hayley became disoriented and was taken to the hospital,” the DWTS judge captioned an Instagram post. “She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy. She is in stable condition. I want to thank the first responders and medical personnel who have cared for and continue to care for her. I ask for your prayers and positivity during this time.”