“Dancing With The Stars” alum Hayley Erbert Hough is reflecting on her journey and offering a candid update on her health weeks after welcoming her first child with husband Derek Hough. The couple welcomed daughter Everley Capri on December 29, a milestone that arrived after several years defined by serious medical scares, personal loss, and hard-earned resilience.
Hayley’s Health Journey & Lingering Fear
During the couple’s “Symphony of Dance” tour, Hayley was rushed to the hospital after suffering a brain bleed caused by a burst blood vessel. Doctors removed about 40 percent of her skull to relieve the pressure, followed by a second surgery to place a skull implant.
GettyThe following year brought another devastating blow when the couple experienced the loss of a pregnancy.
“She’s been through so much,” Derek said in a recent interview with People. “To see her go from where she was to now, giving birth, is amazing. My daughter has a great example here.”
Hayley said she feels grateful to be healthy but remains aware of lingering fear tied to her past medical trauma.
“Honestly, I’m always looking out. If I get a headache, I instantly have some, like, PTSD where I’m like, ‘Is this going to go away?’ Because it all started with just a headache,” she said. “But there’s really nothing that I have to be aware of or be on the lookout for. It’s just living life.”
Derek recalled a moment that stayed with him after Hayley’s surgery. He told People:
“One of the first things Hayley said when she came to after her surgery — missing half of her skull, face swollen — was not, ‘Am I going to be able to dance again?’ It was, ‘Am I able to have children in the future?’ The doctor was like, ‘Yes, of course.’ And here we are.”
Finding Light & Stability After Welcoming Daughter Everley
With Everley’s arrival, the couple says they are finally able to redefine a season once associated with hardship. “We’ve had so many moments in life that are not as great,” Hayley said. “So she’s our rainbow after the storm.”
Derek added: “She’s literally this beautiful ray of light.”
Hayley described her pregnancy as relatively smooth, though she remained cautious after their loss. The couple waited until nearly 20 weeks to share the news publicly and often checked in privately for reassurance.
Their relationship, shaped by years of shared challenges, remains central to this new stage of life.
How Derek Is Adjusting to Fatherhood
Fatherhood has also left a deep emotional mark on Derek. While attending the Golden Globes on January 11, his first public appearance since Everley’s birth, he found himself focused on returning home rather than staying out.
“Everybody was asking me, ‘You going to the afterparties?’ ” he recalled. “I remember saying it out loud for the first time: ‘No, no. I’m going straight home to my daughter…and now I got to go because I’m about to cry.’ ”
At their Los Angeles home, emotions have stayed close to the surface as they settle into life as new parents. Hayley said even the smallest moments now feel deeply emotional, especially when she watches Derek with their daughter.
“Literally every time I see Derek and Everley together, I just start crying,” she told People in their first joint interview after welcoming their daughter.
