Derek Hough Reveals First Thing Wife Hayley Said After Emergency Brain Surgery

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Dancing With the Stars judge Derek Hough has revealed that there was only one thing on his wife Hayley Hough‘s mind when she awoke from an emergency craniectomy two years ago.

Speaking to People, Derek reflected on Hayley’s surgery, which involved having 40 percent of her skull removed to relieve pressure from a brain bleed caused by a burst blood vessel. Hayley later underwent a second surgery for a skull implant.

“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?’” Derek told the outlet. “The doctor was like, ‘Yes, of course.’ And here we are.”

Derek and Hayley welcomed a baby daughter, Everley, on December 29, marking a happy moment after years of health issues and heartbreak. In addition to Hayley’s brain injury, the couple was involved in a serious car accident in 2022 and suffered a miscarriage in 2024.

“She’s been through so much,” a teary-eyed Derek told People. “To see her go from where she was to now, giving birth, is amazing. My daughter has a great example here.”

Hayley told the publication that the struggles have helped build a strong foundation. “Derek describes it as like a tree — the roots are so deep into the ground that no wind could shake us,” she explained.

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Derek and Hayley began dating in 2015 after meeting during the Move Live Tour a year earlier. They tied the knot on August 26, 2023, in Monterey County, California.

Both admitted to being super emotional since welcoming Everley into their lives. “Literally every time I see Derek and Everley together, I just start crying,” Hayley shared.

Derek said the same, adding, “There are so many times where I’m just quietly looking at her and tearing up. I said this to my family: ‘Hayley was meant for this.’ She is such a natural mother.”

And it seems there are already plans to expand the family, with Derek saying, “After this, we’re like, ‘All right, babe, let’s go! Let’s go.’”

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