You’ve probably seen her. The effortless glide across the Dancing with the Stars stage, the sharp lines, the way she seemingly mirrors Derek Hough’s every frenetic move. But for a long time, Hayley Erbert was "the girl in the troupe" or "the girlfriend." That changed in a big way. These days, calling her Derek Hough’s wife is just the tip of the iceberg. Honestly, her story over the last couple of years has been more of a roller coaster than any choreographed Paso Doble could ever be.
Between a "regal" forest wedding, a terrifying medical emergency that nearly took her life, and the birth of their first child in late 2025, Hayley has become a symbol of something much bigger than ballroom trophies. She’s a survivor.
Who is Hayley Erbert? (Beyond the Ballroom)
Hayley isn't just a plus-one. Born in Topeka, Kansas, on October 11, 1994, she was a bit of a powerhouse long before she met the Hough family. She was a finalist on season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance when she was just 18. Imagine that. You graduate high school and immediately jump onto a national stage.
She’s also a former pageant queen—first runner-up for Miss Kansas Teen USA 2013—though she doesn't post about that much. She’s more of a "hiking with her dogs" and "scuba diving in Hawaii" kind of person.
The couple actually met back in 2014. Derek and his sister, Julianne, hired Hayley for their MOVE Live Tour. Professional at first, right? But the spark was there. By 2015, they were dating, though they kept it on the low for a long time. They didn’t even go "Instagram official" until 2017.
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That "Regal Redwoods" Wedding
After seven years of dating, Derek finally popped the question in 2022. He didn't just get a ring; he filled their home with 250 candles and 1,600 roses. Type A behavior? Maybe. But it worked.
They got married on August 26, 2023, in Monterey County, California. It wasn't some stuffy hotel ballroom. They chose a literal redwood forest at the Santa Lucia Preserve.
- The Venue: They stood in front of a "mother tree" surrounded by smaller redwoods.
- The Vibe: "Regal but rustic."
- The Look: Hayley wore a custom Marchesa duchess satin gown. Classic.
- The Guest List: 106 people. Small for Hollywood. It included folks like Nina Dobrev and Shaun White.
Funny enough, Hayley admitted she’s a total "Type A" bride. She wanted to control every detail, especially the seating chart. Derek tried to mess with it by suggesting a "no-spouse-at-the-table" rule, which they immediately scrapped because, well, it was a wedding.
The Crisis No One Saw Coming
Everything was perfect. They were on their Symphony of Dance tour in December 2023 when the unthinkable happened. After a show in Washington, D.C., Hayley became disoriented.
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It wasn't just exhaustion. It was a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel.
She was rushed into emergency surgery—a craniectomy—where they had to remove a portion of her skull to relieve the pressure on her brain. It was a "near-death" situation. Derek later described it as watching her "essentially dying."
Recovery was slow. She had a second surgery, a cranioplasty, to replace the missing piece of her skull with an implant. Most people would have quit. Most people would have stayed home. But by the spring of 2024, she was already talking about returning to the stage. She did exactly that, joining the tour again just months later. That scar on her head? She calls it a "new outlook on life."
The 2025 Milestone: Everley Capri Hough
Life didn't stop after the health scare. If anything, it sped up. In July 2025, the couple announced they were expecting.
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On December 29, 2025, they welcomed their daughter, Everley Capri Hough.
It’s kind of a full-circle moment. During their wedding, they talked about the redwood trees dropping seeds to grow a family "to protect the mother." Now, they have that family.
Why the Public is Obsessed
People love a comeback. Derek Hough’s wife isn't just a title anymore; she's a case study in resilience. Whether she’s mentoring on DWTS: Juniors or posting about her cats (Palo and Lily) and dogs (Luna and Romie), she feels remarkably grounded for someone who lives in the eye of the celebrity storm.
Common Misconceptions
- "She’s just a DWTS pro." Actually, she was never officially a "Pro" with a celebrity partner on the main show. She was a cornerstone of the Troupe for years (Seasons 21-27) and a mentor on the Juniors spin-off.
- "They rushed the marriage." They dated for seven years before the engagement. If anything, they took the "slow and steady" route.
- "She's done with dancing." Far from it. Her 2024 return to the stage proved that her brain surgery wasn't the end of her career.
Real Talk: What You Can Learn from Hayley’s Journey
If you’re following Hayley and Derek’s story, it’s easy to get lost in the glamour. But the real takeaways are pretty practical for anyone:
- Trust your gut with health. That "disoriented" feeling in D.C. could have been ignored as tour fatigue. It wasn't. If something feels off, get to a doctor immediately.
- The power of a support system. Derek didn't just post updates; he sat at the foot of her hospital bed and read her every message of support. Community matters.
- Resilience is a muscle. Returning to a high-impact dance career after brain surgery isn't just luck. it's consistent, grueling physical therapy and mental toughness.
Keep an eye on Hayley’s social media for updates on Baby Everley. The couple is notorious for sharing the "real" parts of parenthood, not just the filtered ones. If you want to see her in action, look up their 2024 Symphony of Dance clips—it's some of her best work to date.