“DWTS”' Derek Hough and wife Hayley Erbert get emotional in first live TV interview since her emergency craniectomy

Kathleen PerriconeFri, June 5, 2026 at 8:58 PM UTC

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Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough on 'Good Morning America' on June 5Credit: ABCKey Points -

Derek Hough and his wife Hayley Ebert appeared on Good Morning America for their first TV interview since her 2023 emergency craniectomy.

"We have truly come so far and I'm so proud of both of us," Ebert told GMA host Michael Strahan.

Ebert's recovery process can be seen in their new documentary, The Symphony of Dance, premiering this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Just three months after their "fairy tale" wedding, Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert were dealt a devastating blow when she required emergency surgery for an intracranial hematoma.

The craniectomy, which removed 40 percent of her skull, saved Erbert's life by relieving pressure caused by the hematoma, a collection of blood that had formed from a burst blood vessel.

It was an emotional journey to recovery for both Erbert and Hough, who sat down for their first live TV interview on Friday on Good Morning America.

"It's crazy that it's only been like two and a half years," Erbert told GMA host Michael Strahan. "It feels like it's been forever, but also it was just yesterday and we have truly come so far and I'm so proud of both of us."

The couple had been in the middle of their Symphony of Dance tour, which they were filming, in December 2023 when Erbert suddenly became disoriented and was rushed to a hospital. The cameras continued to roll throughout her recovery, a "raw and real experience" that can be seen in their new documentary, The Symphony of Dance, premiering this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough in 'The Symphony of Dance' documentaryCredit: Tribeca Film Festival

"It's a real insight into really how amazing this woman is," marveled theDancing With the Stars pro. "And I really mean that. Seeing her strength, seeing her resilience. You know, people say, 'Were you strong for her?' I'm like, 'No, no, no. She was strong for all of us.'"

"She was there with the smile hooked up to the tubes and the wires in the hospital," Hough continued, "and she had this determination, this 'I'm going to dance again. I'm going to be on that floor again.' And she did it. It defied all the odds."

Ahead of surgery, doctors advised Erbert that she "may not be the same" after the craniectomy. There was a possibility she might not walk again, let alone dance.

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"[Hough] always says that I'm a very stubborn person, and truthfully, I am," Erbert joked to Strahan. "And that was when my stubbornness actually was a good thing because I was like, 'No, I will dance. I will dance again. I will be out on that stage.'"

Derek Hough and Hayley Ebert on 'Dancing With the Stars' in 2024Credit: Disney/Eric McCandless

Sure enough, she was back out there just four months post-surgery. "Maybe I'm a little crazy, but I was determined," explained Erbert. "I had a clear goal and I was like, 'I will do this.'"

As for Hough, his wife's near-death emergency left him with the opposite sentiment: he second-guessed if he should ever dance again.

Derek Hough and Hayley Ebert in April 2026Credit: Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty

"When I'm dancing with her, my job is to take care of her, my partner, you know, not even just as a husband, but as a dancer," he explained to Strahan. "And essentially, this happened while she was dancing with me. And so, I felt responsible. I felt guilty. I felt a resentment towards dancing as well, where I felt like it was the thing that almost killed her. And so, I couldn't even think about performing or dancing. It just seemed so ridiculous."

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Erbert's incredible return to the stage was captured in The Symphony of Dance. Hough can't wait for fans to see his wife's resilience — and he's even more excited to one day show their 5-month-old daughter, Everly.

"One thing I love more than anything is being able to show her this one day and show her what a badass her mom is," he said. "Honestly, I just can't wait."

on Entertainment Weekly

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