Derek & Hayley 'We Appreciate Life So Much More'

One year after Hayley Erbert Hough’s medical emergency, she and her husband, Derek Hough, open up to Us about their new approach to life and finding strength and beauty in the darkest of times

- ISLEY ZEGAS

It was a day he’ll never forget. On Dec. 6, 2023, just outside of Washington, D.C., while on their Symphony of Dance Tour, Derek Hough took the stage to introduce a duet that he and wife Hayley Erbert Hough were set to perform in honor of the late Dancing With the Stars judge Len Goodman. “Ironically, I’m talking about how precious life is and how to savor this short time that we have here and the loved ones we have,” recalls Derek, who was waiting for Hayley to join him in front of the crowd for their routine. “And as I’m saying those words, not really realizing it, Hayley was on the side of the stage, having seizures and essentially dying.”

Earlier in the show, unbeknownst to everyone, Hayley had suffered a near-fatal cranial hematoma. “I just remember being on stage,” she says. “I do remember being in a lot of pain… [but] I remember dancing, and then my world just went black.” Still in her costume, Hayley was rushed to a nearby hospital where she underwent an emergency craniectomy, removing 40 percent of her skull, in a desperate attempt to save her life. “I was told… she might not survive, and even if she does, she most likely won’t be the same person,” shares Derek. “That was a devastating moment. When people say your whole world comes crashing down, I think it’s accurate because it really feels like that. The room just falls on you.”