Last updated: September 18, 2026
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert’s romance feels like it was choreographed by fate itself. The Dancing with the Stars judge and professional dancer didn’t meet through a dating app or a red-carpet event. Their story started on the road, under stage lights, with shared sweat and synchronized steps. Here’s the complete, up-to-date look at how the couple first connected and built a life together that now includes marriage and parenthood.
Table of Contents
The 2014 Tour That Changed Everything
In 2014, Derek and his sister Julianne Hough hired Hayley Erbert as a dancer for their Move Live on Tour. Hayley, a Kansas native and former So You Think You Can Dance Top 6 finalist, already had serious credentials. She had trained since age three, competed as a gymnast, and worked with big names.
Joining the Hough siblings’ tour put her directly in Derek’s professional orbit. They spent months traveling, rehearsing, and performing together. At that point the relationship stayed strictly professional. Hayley later explained that the tour simply opened the next door: Derek and Julianne passed her contact details to Dancing with the Stars producers. She interviewed right after the tour ended and landed a spot as a troupe member for Season 21 in 2015.
From Tour Mates to Secret Romance
Season 21 brought them even closer. Derek was competing as a pro (and eventually won the Mirrorball with Bindi Irwin) while Hayley danced in the background troupe. Somewhere during filming, friendship tipped into romance.
They kept things private for a long time. Derek has said he preferred protecting their connection from tabloid noise. By late 2016 he hinted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that he was seeing someone. In May 2017 the pair finally went Instagram official with a throwback photo from the 2014 tour, captioned with pure nostalgia and a heart emoji.
Key early milestones include:
- First public appearances together in 2016
- Strengthening their bond while quarantining during the 2020 pandemic
- Launching a joint YouTube channel and sharing everyday life
Engagement, Wedding, and the Next Chapter
After seven years of dating, Derek proposed at home on June 2, 2022. The setup featured candles and flowers; Hayley said she had no idea it was coming. They married on August 26, 2023, in an intimate outdoor ceremony in Monterey County, California, surrounded by redwoods and roughly 100 guests. Their first dance was pure them—starting privately before the barn doors opened so guests saw the space and the couple moving together at the same moment.
Life tested them soon after. In December 2023 Hayley suffered a cranial hematoma during their Symphony of Dance tour and underwent emergency brain surgery. She recovered with remarkable resilience and returned to the stage months later. The experience deepened their partnership.
Building a Family Together
In July 2025 the couple announced they were expecting. On December 29, 2025, they welcomed their first child, daughter Everley Capri Hough, via home birth. They described her as their “rainbow after the storm” after earlier challenges, including a previous pregnancy loss. By September 2026 the family of three continues to share quiet, joyful glimpses of new-parent life while Derek remains a DWTS judge and both keep creating dance projects.
| Milestone | Year / Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting | 2014 | Hired for Move Live on Tour with Julianne |
| DWTS Season 21 | 2015 | Hayley joins troupe; dating begins |
| Instagram official | May 2017 | Public confirmation of relationship |
| Engagement | June 2, 2022 | Home proposal with candles and flowers |
| Wedding | August 26, 2023 | Monterey County, California |
| First child born | December 29, 2025 | Daughter Everley Capri Hough |
Conclusion
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert prove that the best partnerships often start when you’re simply doing what you love. From a 2014 tour hire to marriage, health challenges, and welcoming their daughter, their story remains grounded in mutual respect, shared passion for dance, and quiet perseverance. Fans still light up whenever the couple steps onto a stage together—because their chemistry was never forced. It grew naturally, one rehearsal, one quiet date, and one hard-won chapter at a time.
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