How Derek Hough Found His Forever Partner in Wife Hayley Erbert

Derek, who at 40 is aiming for dual daddy-zaddy status, captioned a reel from the Oct. 6 Tron: Ares premiere, "Date Night with my Babies," the plural a running theme in his posts since "#babyhough" entered the conversation in July.

No doubt his nimbleness came in handy as he prepared for the most important choreography of his life.

"The best piece of advice that Derek got was, if he's able to and he's willing to, 'Catch the baby,'" Hayley, 31, explained in a December interview with E! News. "'To be the first hands to catch your baby earth-side is the most special thing ever.' And he would be the hands that bring the baby to me."

And while life hasn't always been an effortless lift for the pair, at this point neither could imagine dancing through life with anybody else.

But over time, he noted, "we started surrounding ourselves with couples, with people who were married and had great relationships."

Still, even he and Hayley ended up having "10 different versions of our relationship," Derek shared. "In our vows we talked about it, we walked through fire together...We've been through some insane obstacles, insane moments that would usually crush and destroy couples."

He continued, "There would be times when our relationship was over and it was dead—and I mean that in a beautiful way."

As in, he explained, "This relationship is over but let's start this new one...Now let's begin this new version of who we are together."

And each relationship they've had, Hayley said, "is better than the last."

Their husband-and-wife era commenced Aug. 26, 2023, in an outdoor ceremony at the Santa Lucia Preserve in Carmel, Calif.

Then it was onto their two-week Italian honeymoon, after which they headed out on tour.

And when the newlyweds were talking about growing and changing together on Couple Things—"I try to keep my thoughts one day at a time," Derek said, "because if I think about everything that's happening, I'll get overwhelmed"—they had no idea that they'd be called upon to make it through the fire yet again a month later.

They had just wrapped their Dec. 6, 2023, show in Washington, D.C., when Hayley fell ill and was rushed into surgery to remove pressure on her brain after a blood vessel burst.

Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert meet back in 2014 when she performed on his and sister Julianne Hough's tour. A Dancing With the Stars producer is impressed with Hayley and she is called to interview to join the show's troupe, getting the job the following year, according to the Hutchington News. Also in 2015, she and Derek begin dating.

The two begin going out to public events, including at the 2016 premiere of the Tony Robbins Netflix documentary I Am Not Your Guru.

The duo get glammed up for a star-studded night out.

The dancers make their red carpet debut as a couple at the Television Academy's 2017 Choreography Peer Group Celebration at Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, Calif.

Hayley joins Derek as his date for the Creative Arts Emmys, where he was nominated for Outstanding Choreography for his work on Dancing With the Stars.

The two attend the star-studded Casamigos Halloween Party.

Hayley joins Derek as he hosts The Americana at Brand shopping mall's Christmas tree lighting event in Glendale, Calif.

The two attend the Hollywood premiere of Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The couple steps out at HBO's post-Emmys celebration.

They aren't pumping the brakes as they attend the premiere of Netflix's El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

The two pose for pics at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar viewing party.

Feeling festive, they dance on the special to ring in the Christmas season.

The two are all smiles at the premiere in Los Angeles.

The partners appear at the Creative Arts Emmys, where Derek wins Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming for his work on Dancing with the Stars.

The two dance as they arrive at the 2022 Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars viewing party.

They look top tier on the red carpet.

Hayley flashes her engagement ring at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards.

The two get cozy at the launch of the Disney-Pixar film.

The couple honeymoon in Italy following their Aug. 26, 2023 wedding in California.

Derek was by Hayley's side as she underwent emergency skull surgery due to a burst blood vessel. "It was a time filled with uncertainty and fear, going from living our dreams onstage, to a nightmare in an instant," he wrote on Instagram over a week later. "Her recovery process has been nothing short of a miracle."

After being given medical clearance to get back to performing, Hayley and Derek resumed their Symphony of Dance tour in April 2024. In October, she made her triumphant return to the ballroom as she joined her husband for an emotional routine set to Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things."

The couple announced they'd be welcoming a new addition to their family as they revealed they were expecting their first baby together. Alongside an Instagram video unveiling their unborn child's sonogram, Hayley wrote, "We can’t believe the biggest thing to happen to us could be so small."

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App