Fans have been following “Dancing With the Stars” pro Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert’s love story for over a decade. Connecting through dance in 2014, the couple went official a year later, and shared major life milestones with fans on social media, including tying the knot in August 2023 and welcoming their first child, Everley Hough, in December 2025.
On May 17, Erbert took to Instagram to wish Hough a very special birthday. The pro dancer turned 41, with Erbert sharing a carousel of her favorite memories with her husband.
Hayley Erbert Celebrates Derek Hough’s Birthday With Romantic Tribute
GettyHayley Erbert penned a sweet and romantic birthday tribute to her husband, Derek Hough, who turned 41 on May 17. Taking to Instagram, Erbert shared a collection of photos highlighting the couple’s most cherished memories, including their many vacations around the world, stunning underwater snapshots, and a touching moment of the pair holding their daughter.
“My husband. My love. My soulmate. My forever dance partner. My best friend. My baby daddy. 🥹 Happy Birthday! Life is so much better because you’re in it. I love you forever and always @derekhough . ♥️” She touchingly captioned her post.
In the comment section, Hough jokingly shared, “Bubble beard 😂😂 I love you so much.”
According to People, Hough and Erbert’s relationship dates back to 2014, when Hough’s sister, Julianne Hough, hired Erbert to join the siblings on tour. A year later, Erbert joined DWTS as a troupe member, and the pair began dating.
In June 2022, the couple announced their engagement after seven years of dating. In an Instagram post in which Hough holds up Erbert in a tender moment, he wrote, “It’s only the beginning…the beginning of forever ♥️.” The couple later wed in August 2023 in California.
Hough has also been by Erbert’s side when she needed emergency brain surgery just months after tying the knot.
In December 2025, the couple welcomed their first child together, a daughter, Everley Capri Hough.
Erbert Reflects on Motherhood
While Erbert was pregnant in October 2025 with the couple’s daughter, she and Hough revealed in an emotional Instagram video that they had previously experienced a miscarriage. The heartfelt clip showed the couple sharing their pregnancy news with family and friends before ending with the pair embracing and crying after learning of their loss.
Though the couple later welcomed their healthy rainbow baby girl in December 2025, in April Erbert shared a personal story about the emotional contradictions of motherhood, noting how it can feel both joyful and heartbreaking at the same time.
“My love. My girl. My world. ♥️Motherhood is even more complex and contradicting than I could have ever imagined. It feels like living in two places at once. Where joy and heartache can both be true, all of the time. My heart is constantly bursting open, while also breaking into a million pieces,” she began, sharing photos lying by Everley.
She continued, “I find myself celebrating every little bit of your growth, while quietly grieving the version of you that existed just moments before. So excited for all the “firsts” and the life ahead of you/us, yet wishing I could freeze time and never have any “lasts”. It’s the most beautiful contradiction. This pull between holding on and letting go, between wanting time to slow down and knowing it never will.”
“If this is the dichotomy of motherhood, then I’ll try my best to meet it with open arms. Soaking in every little detail, every version of you, every fleeting moment we have together. I love being your mom. I love you beyond, Everley. I have truly never felt a love like this. 🫀” Her heartfelt caption ended.
Celebrating her first Mother’s Day, Erbert shared beautiful photos with her and Everley. “The greatest honor of my life is being your mom. Everley, I love you with everything that I am.♥️ Happy Mother’s Day to every woman with a piece of her heart living outside her body 🫀,” her caption read.
