Hayley Erbert returned to the “Dancing With the Stars” ballroom on October 15. This marked the first time she performed on live television since a medical emergency in December 2023.
Erbert underwent surgery for a very serious brain bleed. Doctors told her husband, Derek Hough, that there was a chance she wouldn’t make it. Moreover, if she did make it, she likely wouldn’t be the same person she once was. There was even a chance that she wouldn’t walk again — never mind dance.
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Following a contemporary routine that had the whole ballroom in tears, Hough shared that all eyes are on “miracle” Erbert as she gets back to doing what she loves: Dancing.
“When we go on tour, all the dancers in crew, we all have these little badges that say if there’s any signs of this, this, this, or that, we need to find medical team or something,” Hough told People magazine on October 15.
“Just so we’re aware. We’re just very cautious. But I’m very, very, very mindful, almost maybe overly mindful of things that we do, moves that we do to make sure that she’s protected, she’s safe at all times,” he added.
Derek Hough Shared Details of What Happened to Hayley Erbert
On the October 15 episode of “Dancing With the Stars,” Hough and Erbert decided to share a bit more about what happened on that fateful day in December 2023.
Before the show aired, Hough uploaded a clip of the package they put together for the live show. In it, he explained that Erbert fell very ill very quickly.
“I was on stage and she’s supposed to come out. The stage manager walked out and just said, ‘Hey, she’s not coming on stage,'” Hough recalled.
“She was on the side of the stage having full seizures. And essentially dying. It’s really hard to even put into words other than just pure fear. We rushed to the hospital. She’s still in her costume. And the doctor came to me and he said that she has a severe brain bleed. So we have to operate right now. He said that she might not make it. And that even if she does make it, she won’t be the same person,” he added.
In the package, Hough and Erbert shared never-before-seen photos and videos from their August 2023 wedding as well as clips from Erbert’s time in the hospital.
Hayley Erbert Is Heading on Tour With Derek Hough
Once getting the all clear to start dancing again, Erbert and Hough made the decision to have her join him on his holiday tour.
“Guess who’s hitting the road for the Holidays?! I’m very excited to announce that I will be joining another tour with my husband, but this time with a twist. Come see us Dance For the Holidays! Make sure you get your tickets,” Erbert captioned an Instagram post in September.
And while she’s excited to get back on the road with her husband, she has to listen to her body.
While chatting with People magazine on October 15, Erbert said she’ll be mindful of how she feels.
“I can tell when something’s off and I’ll be like, ‘Ooh, that doesn’t feel quite right. I shouldn’t be doing this move or I shouldn’t be doing this number.’ And so I feel like I am being smart in that way of just being like, I’m going to listen to myself,” she said.
