Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert have come a long way since her 2023 health scare — and they’re only going up from here.
“We’re actually working on something right now,” Hough, 39, exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “That we’re looking forward to sharing with people.” The Dancing With the Stars judge adds, “It’s going to be really beautiful.”
Hough says that his new project with wife Erbert, 29, comes four months after she returned to the stage for their Symphony of Dance Tour following her December 2023 emergency brain surgery.
“When I think about it, I want to cry because it was just a very emotional and powerful tour,” Hough tells Us of Erbert’s April comeback, calling the experience “an absolute monumental moment in our lives.”
Hough remembers everything about Erbert’s resurgence on stage. “The reaction from the crowd, the show and, of course, Hayley being on stage with me — it was just incredibly powerful and very special,” he recalls.
Hough and Erbert’s Symphony of Dance Tour was full of high highs and low lows after kicking off their performances in September 2023. The couple was fresh off their Italian honeymoon, after tying the knot in August 2023, when they hit the road together.
Three months later, their world came crashing to a halt when Erbert was rushed to the hospital following a performance in Washington, D.C. At the time, Erbert was diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel which was causing the dancer to be disoriented.
Hough revealed in December 2023 that Erbert underwent an emergency craniectomy and was in “stable condition.” Erbert had a second successful procedure later that month to replace a portion of her skull that was removed during the first surgery.
The pair “spent the holiday feeling overwhelmed with gratitude that the surgery was a success, and Hayley is on the mend,” an insider exclusively told Us at the time, noting that the situation gave them “a new appreciation for their life together.”
Erbert kicked off the new year by focusing on her recovery, not knowing if she’d ever dance again. In March, she returned to the studio with Hough by her side to start over and one month later she received a standing ovation from the crowd at her first show since the health scare.
“The Symphony of Dance Tour has only been over for a few days and I still haven’t quite found the words to express my emotions,” Erbert wrote via Instagram in May alongside a slideshow of photos from her performances. “This tour was truly one of the most fulfilling experiences in my life.”
She recalled the “uncertainty” surrounding a possible return after her surgeries, celebrating that she “did it” and make it back to the stage for the final few shows.
“This tour reignited many parts of me that have been dim for so long,” Erbert concluded. “So, for that, I cannot thank everyone who came out to support us on this wild journey enough. I am so grateful to still be here, with you all, doing what I love. Thank you, thank you, thank you 🫶🏼.”
Watch the exclusive video above for more on Hough and Erbert’s journey — and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
