Derek Hough was waiting onstage for his wife, dancer Hayley Erbert, to appear during their Symphony of Dance tour on December 6, 2023, when a stage manager told him she would not be coming on. Erbert was experiencing full seizures and, in Hough’s later account, was “essentially dying.”
She was rushed to a nearby hospital still wearing her performance costume. Doctors diagnosed a severe brain bleed, also described in public reporting as a cranial hematoma, and told Hough that immediate surgery was necessary. They also warned that Erbert might not survive—or might not be the same person if she did.
The emergency began during a performance
The couple was touring near Washington, D.C., when Erbert developed an excruciating headache during the second act. She later said she initially intended to finish the show, but her condition rapidly worsened.
Hough was onstage waiting for her entrance when he learned that she would not appear. He later described Erbert as having full seizures. He also recalled signs of a serious neurological emergency, including confusion, abnormal speech and unequal pupils.
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Erbert was taken to a hospital immediately. The doctors’ diagnosis was described publicly as a severe brain bleed or cranial hematoma. “Essentially dying,” the phrase associated with Hough’s recollection, was his description of what he was told about her condition—not a formal medical diagnosis.
Emergency craniectomy and a devastating prognosis
Doctors performed an emergency craniectomy, an operation in which part of the skull is removed to give a swollen brain more room and reduce dangerous pressure. Hough said that approximately 40% of Erbert’s skull was removed during the lifesaving procedure. That figure comes from Hough’s public account and should not be treated as an independently reported surgical measurement.
The medical team warned Hough that Erbert might not survive. Even if she did, they cautioned, she might experience profound changes in her abilities or personality. For the couple, the immediate aftermath involved uncertainty over whether Erbert would live, walk or return to the life and career she had known.
Several weeks later, Erbert underwent a cranioplasty. Unlike the emergency craniectomy, which creates space during a dangerous period of swelling, a cranioplasty repairs the opening or defect in the skull. The two procedures are related but serve different purposes.
Recovery meant relearning ordinary life
Erbert’s recovery was physically and emotionally difficult. She was reportedly told that she might never walk again, but she returned to the dance studio by March 2024. She received medical clearance to return to the tour in April.
Hough said the experience changed the way he approached choreography. He became highly cautious about movements that could affect Erbert’s safety, reflecting the fact that returning to dance was not the same as simply resuming a normal schedule.
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In a November 7, 2024 interview with Us Weekly, the couple described Erbert as making a nearly full recovery while emphasizing how much work the process had required. Erbert characterized the experience as relearning how to live. She said she wanted to focus on the beauty of life rather than remain defined only by the medical crisis.
The couple also spoke about becoming more present and appreciative of ordinary moments. That perspective did not erase the seriousness of what had happened, but it helped explain why Erbert’s return to the dance floor carried significance beyond a single performance.
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Erbert returned to the Dancing with the Stars ballroom
On October 15, 2024, Erbert and Hough danced together on Dancing with the Stars during “Dedication Night.” They performed an acoustic version of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things.”
The appearance was an important public milestone. Hough had previously feared that they might never dance together again. The television package before the performance revisited the emergency, including the stage manager’s warning and the doctors’ grave prognosis.
Erbert said that watching and revisiting the footage triggered an intense emotional response. Hough described the televised appearance as only the beginning of telling the full story, rather than a complete account of the ordeal.
A documentary was announced
In October 2024, Hough and Erbert announced a documentary project about Erbert’s recovery and the couple’s experience. The project was directed by Jason Bergh and produced by Bergh and Stephan Bielecki.
The announcement made clear that the Dancing with the Stars performance was not intended to be the final word on the story. The documentary was described as continuing to document Erbert’s recovery and the broader experience of living through a life-threatening medical emergency.
No verified release date or distribution information was established in the available reporting. The project should therefore be treated as announced, not as a documentary with confirmed public availability.
What Erbert has said about life after the brain bleed
By the couple’s later public updates, Erbert had returned to touring, dancing and other major parts of her life. However, the available reporting does not support saying that she has been entirely free of physical or emotional effects.
In a January 2026 update summarized from a People interview, Erbert said headaches could still trigger post-traumatic stress because the original crisis began with a headache. She also said she was not living under a special ongoing warning or restriction beyond continuing to live her life.
Hough recalled that one of Erbert’s early concerns after surgery was whether she would be able to have children. The couple later welcomed their daughter, Everley Capri Hough, in December 2025. They announced her arrival on December 29, more than two years after Erbert’s lifesaving brain surgery.
The birth is a major personal milestone in the couple’s story, but it does not change the need for careful wording about Erbert’s health. Public reporting supports substantial functional recovery, continued dancing and childbirth, along with ongoing emotional effects. It does not establish that every consequence of the crisis has disappeared.
The latest publicly reported interview
ABC News published a video dated June 5, 2026, describing the couple’s first live television interview after the health crisis and identifying it as an update on Erbert’s life-threatening brain bleed.
The accessible information about that page confirms the interview and its date, but does not provide enough transcript detail to support additional specific medical claims. For that reason, the June 2026 appearance is best understood as the latest publicly indexed broadcast update in this account—not as evidence of a new diagnosis, treatment or prognosis.
Why Hough’s account remains so powerful
Hough’s recollection captures the speed with which a performance-night headache became a medical emergency. Erbert went from intending to continue the show to experiencing seizures, emergency surgery and a prognosis that included the possibility of death or permanent change.
Her subsequent return to the studio and to the Dancing with the Stars ballroom offers a recovery milestone, not a simple “back to normal” ending. The couple’s own comments show both sides of the story: Erbert regained major abilities and returned to dance, while headaches could still evoke trauma and the experience continued to shape how they approached everyday life.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Hayley Erbert during the 2023 tour?
On December 6, 2023, Erbert became seriously ill during the couple’s Symphony of Dance tour near Washington, D.C. She developed an excruciating headache, later experienced seizures and was taken to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed a severe brain bleed or cranial hematoma.
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What surgery did Hayley Erbert undergo?
Erbert underwent an emergency craniectomy to relieve pressure caused by swelling. Derek Hough said approximately 40% of her skull was removed. She later underwent a cranioplasty to repair the cranial defect.
When did Hayley Erbert return to Dancing with the Stars?
Erbert returned to the Dancing with the Stars ballroom with Derek Hough on October 15, 2024, during Dedication Night. They performed to an acoustic version of Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things.”
Is Hayley Erbert fully recovered?
Public reporting supports substantial functional recovery, including returning to dance, touring and having a child. However, it does not establish that she has no remaining symptoms or emotional effects. Erbert has said that headaches can still trigger post-traumatic stress because her original crisis began with a headache.
Was a documentary about Hayley Erbert’s recovery released?
A documentary project directed by Jason Bergh and produced by Bergh and Stephan Bielecki was announced in October 2024. The available reporting did not establish a verified release date or distribution platform.
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Hayley Erbert’s medical crisis began with a headache during a 2023 performance and escalated into seizures, a severe brain bleed and emergency brain surgery. Her return to dance with Derek Hough in October 2024 marked an extraordinary recovery milestone, while her later comments make clear that recovery also includes ongoing emotional effects and adapting to life after trauma.
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