Derek Hough says he is ‘filled with hope and relief’ as wife Hayley Erbert recuperates from brain surgery

Derek Hough is hopeful as his wife, Hayley Erbert, recovers from emergency brain surgery.

“As you all know, the past week has been a challenging journey for us due to a life-threatening event that suddenly came into our lives,” he captioned an Instagram video of himself and Erbert walking outside in the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

“It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage, to a nightmare in an instant,” he added.

“But today, we are filled with hope and relief as we share with you an update.”

The “Dancing With the Stars” judge, 38, said his wife is “doing well” and her recovery process has been “nothing short of a miracle,” however, she will have to undergo another surgery in the next few weeks to insert a skull implant in place of the part that was removed during her initial surgery.

Derek Hough is hopeful as his wife, Hayley Erbert, recovers from emergency brain surgery. Derek Hough/Instagram

Hough then thanked everyone for their “unwavering support, messages, prayers and undeniable loving energy we have both felt during this time.”

“While this isn’t the holiday season either of us envisioned, it’s one that we’re incredibly grateful to have. We look forward to cherishing these moments with a deeper appreciation for life and the people in it,” he concluded.

Several stars sent the couple their well wishes and love.

The “Dancing With the Stars” judge said his wife is “doing well” and her recovery process has been “nothing short of a miracle,” however, she will have to undergo another surgery in the next few weeks Derek Hough/Instagram

Derek’s sister Julianne Hough wrote, “Our Wolverine Viking Warrior Princess! ❤️❤️❤️.”


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Alyssa Milano added, “Sending so much love to you both.”

Ricki Lake commented, “🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️.”

Last week, Hough announced that Erbert had to undergo emergency brain surgery. Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
He said she was diagnosed “with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy.” hayley.erbert/Instagram

Last Thursday, the professional Latin and ballroom dancer announced on Instagram that Erbert, 29, had to undergo emergency brain surgery after she “became disoriented and was taken to the hospital” at the end of their show in Washington, D.C., Dec. 6.

Derek said his spouse — whom he wed in August — was diagnosed “with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel and required an emergency craniectomy.”

An intracranial hematoma is a collection of blood within the brain tissue or underneath the skull, which then presses on the brain, per the Mayo Clinic.

The couple wed in August. HAYLEY ERBERT/INSTAGRAM

The complication is usually caused by a blood vessel in the brain that bursts, typically as a result of a head trauma such as a car accident or fall.

The six-time “Dancing With the Stars” champion said he and Erbert “got into a pretty scary car accident in the mountains” last December.

At the time, the “So You Think You Can Dance” alum said she and Derek were “both okay” following the crash, however, she “walked away a little banged up” with “a swollen face and four stitches above [her] eyebrow.”