Derek Hough is giving an update on his wife, Hayley Erbert, after she was hospitalized for a cranial hematoma earlier this week.
“Hayley has always inspired me with her strength, her resilience and no more so than in the last 48 hours,” Hough, 38, wrote via Instagram on Friday, December 8. “She is now on the long road to recovery. Words cannot express how grateful and thankful we are for the support and love that you have given us. The kindness that we’ve been shown in this incredibly unfathomable and life changing time is immovable.”
The Dancing With the Stars judge, who tied the knot with Erbert, 29, in August, added that the “offers of assistance” their family has been given in the past days have been “so humbling and appreciated.” He concluded, “Our hope is that as a family, we can start somehow and someway pay it forward.”
Hough initially took to Instagram on Thursday, December 7, to share that Erbert had been rushed to the hospital after becoming “disoriented” following a performance at the D.C. stop of their Symphony of Dance tour on Wednesday, December 6.
“She was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy,” he explained, before asking for “prayers and positivity” during this difficult time.
Hough also noted that Erbert was in “stable condition” thanks to the first responders and medical professionals who provided care for his wife.
Hours later, Derek’s sister, Julianne Hough, took to social media in hopes of well wishes for her sister-in-law. “Please pray and send all your love, healing and light to Hayley and Derek 🙏,” Julianne captioned her Instagram Story. “Thank you from the depths of our families hearts! ❤️.”
This isn’t the first health scare Erbert has faced. Last year, the dancer revealed that she and Derek had gotten in a car crash while driving on icy roads together.
“Given the circumstances, we have so much to be grateful for,” Erbert wrote via Instagram in December 2022. “I only walked away a little banged up, a swollen face, and four stitches above my eyebrow. Now, more than ever, we realize how fragile life is and how important it is to love those around you.”
Derek, however, reminded his wife via the comments section that she didn’t “remember anything” after the crash. He recalled her being “dazed afterwards,” saying she was “cheerful” and still willing to go out to dinner despite the “blood that ran down her face.”
“That really scared me,” he said. “She came to 20 minutes later when the firemen arrived.”
Derek and Erbert began dating in 2015, one year after they met on Derek and Julianne’s Move Live Tour. Erbert later became a troupe dancer on DWTS for multiple seasons, beginning in 2016. The pair confirmed their engagement via a joint Instagram post in June 2022.
Following Derek’s announcement on Thursday, many of the couple’s DWTS costars sent love their way. “Sending you all the love I have in my soul. Prayers for a speedy recovery,” DWTS cohost Alfonso Ribeiro wrote, while pro Alan Bersten added: “Praying and sending 🙏🏼.”
