Derek Hough reveals he can’t stop crying after wife Hayley Erbert gave birth to ‘miracle baby’ following brain surgery health crisis

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Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert, are overjoyed to announce the birth of their first child. The couple, who faced health challenges recently, lovingly refer to their baby as their ‘rainbow after the storm,’ symbolizing hope and joy after a difficult time.

Hough, 40, and 31-year-old Erbert welcomed daughter Everley Capri Hough earlier this month as the family were seen for the first time together last week. 

The two TV stars have faced challenges over the years, including a serious car accident in 2002 where one of them, Erbert, needed four stitches to her forehead.

A year later, while performing on their Symphony Of Dance tour, she suddenly collapsed and was taken to the hospital. A ruptured blood vessel had caused a dangerous brain bleed, and she almost didn’t survive.

Because of the injury, doctors had to remove a large portion of her skull to reduce swelling. She later needed another surgery to replace the missing bone with an implant.

Then, sadly, a year later Erbert had a miscarriage.

Derek Hough became emotional during an interview with People magazine, where he and his wife are featured on the cover. He spoke about his wife, saying she’s overcome a lot of challenges.

Watching her grow and now become a mother is incredible. She’s setting a wonderful example.

Because these difficult times always occurred around the same time of year as Erbert’s pregnancies, the couple hope that having their ‘miracle baby’ will help them feel differently about that season.

Erbert explained that they’ve faced many difficult times, and their daughter is like a ray of hope and happiness after those challenges.

Hough added: ‘She’s literally this beautiful ray of light.’

After everything they’ve experienced, it’s only natural they’re overcome with emotion meeting their new baby.

On January 11th, Hugh Grant attended the Golden Globes, marking his first public event since becoming a father. He remembered being asked if he planned to attend the after-parties.

He recalled the first time he voiced his decision, saying, “No, I need to go straight home to my daughter.” He added, his voice cracking with emotion, that he had to leave immediately because he was on the verge of tears.

Erbert shared that becoming a parent is deeply moving for her, saying she often tears up whenever she sees her husband, Derek, with their daughter, Everley.

The couple introduced their new addition with their Instagram followers on January 5. 

The announcement included a cute photo of the baby’s feet, shown in black and white, and shared information about Everley’s birth.

December 29, 2025 – we welcomed our daughter, Everley Capri Hough (🤍). She’s the culmination of everything we’ve hoped for, and our lives will never be the same. We’re completely and wonderfully in love.

Fans and celebrities, including Julianne Hough, sent the new parents lots of congratulatory messages and good wishes.

‘Welcome to the world sweet angel Everley,’ she commented on the post.

She shared the announcement photo on her Instagram Stories, adding the caption, ‘Baby girl has arrived!’

Hough and his wife shared the news in July that they are expecting a baby, posting a video of their sonogram.

This news follows a difficult period for the couple, who previously shared that they had experienced a miscarriage before Erbert became pregnant with their daughter, Everly.

We’re thrilled to be expecting a new baby, but we also remember and cherish the baby we lost previously,” they shared in October.

A ‘rainbow baby’ is a child born after a previous miscarriage.

This is a fresh start for the couple, following a difficult period where Erbert had emergency brain surgery in December 2023 to address bleeding in the skull.

In December 2023, Erbert experienced a brain hematoma while performing on their Symphony of Dance tour in Washington D.C., requiring immediate surgery to relieve the pressure.

A cranial hematoma occurs when blood collects inside the brain or between the brain and the skull, as explained by the Mayo Clinic.

Several weeks after the incident, the dancer from Step Into… The Movies had surgery to rebuild a significant part of her skull. Doctors had removed that section during the initial emergency operation.

Erbert’s recovery went incredibly well, allowing him and his wife to finish their 70-city Symphony of Dance tour, which concluded on May 19, 2024.

After her surgery, the couple happily celebrated their first wedding anniversary on August 26th, 2024.

In 2024, the couple recounted the terrifying health scare on an episode of Dancing With The Stars. 

It was terrifying. I was watching the show, and she was scheduled to come out, but the stage manager suddenly walked out and told us she wasn’t going to appear. Apparently, she was backstage having a seizure – a really bad one. He said it was like she was…dying. Honestly, it’s hard to describe the feeling, just pure, overwhelming fear. It was awful to witness.

We hurried her to the hospital, and she was still wearing her costume. The doctor told me she had a serious brain hemorrhage and needed immediate surgery.

He worried she might not survive, and even if she did, he believed she’d be forever changed.

Derek recalled his wife waking up and asking, “What happened? Weren’t we just dancing?”

Just knowing she was alive, that Hayley was inside, brought such a wave of relief. She was my wife, and that’s when everything started to change, when our real journey began.

After the injury, she had to relearn how to walk and wore a helmet to protect her head while her skull healed.

‘I was struggling. I was just so impressed by her strength. She’s my beautiful miracle,’ he said.

Hayley then shared that when she woke up doctors told her she might not be able to walk.

Hayley refused to believe she wouldn’t recover. Describing herself as stubborn, she worked incredibly hard to regain not just her ability to walk, but also to dance again.

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2026-01-21 19:54