Hayley Erbert was rushed to the hospital in early December after feeling 'disoriented' during a performance.
Derek Hough is sharing his heartfelt sentiments following his recent Emmy win and his wife, Hayley Erbert's, challenging recovery from multiple surgeries and a traumatic brain injury.
During Monday's episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, 38-year-old Hough opens up about the whirlwind of emotions he experienced while accepting the prestigious Creative Arts Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming last month while also dealing with his wife's health battle.
"It was kind of crazy, too, because it was such a difficult time in December, to then exactly a month be on stage accepting such a prestigious award in choreography, it was crazy," Hough shares. "It was a really wild, kind of surreal experience being in a hospital room for a month and then in front of thousands of people accepting something like that. It was a lot of ups and downs, like I said before. It's been wild."
Hough's win came at a challenging moment, as it coincided with 29-year-old Erbert's ongoing recovery from brain surgery. She underwent an emergency craniectomy on Dec 7, 2023, after suffering a cranial hematoma during the couple's Symphony of Dance tour stop in Washington, D.C. She later had a second surgery on Dec. 20 to replace a large portion of her skull.
During his Emmys acceptance speech, Hough emotionally dedicated the award to his wife, expressing gratitude for her. "Your strength and your courage this whole month has been unbelievable. You inspired me every day," Hough tearfully expressed.
In his recent interview with Jennifer Hudson, Hough provides an update on Erbert's recovery progress, stating, "She is doing amazing. She is an absolute miracle, miraculous." He also expresses his gratitude for the overwhelming support from fans and well-wishers during this trying time.
Recently, Hough walked the red carpet at the premiere of Jennifer Lopez's new musical cinematic experience, This Is Me... Now: A Love Story, and the Dancing With the Stars judge spoke with ET's Kevin Frazier about his wife's health journey.
"She's unbelievable," Derek gushed. "When I married her, I knew she was strong, but I really didn't realize how strong she really was until now."
"I'm just, I really am in awe of her everyday," Derek added. "She's incredible. She really is a miracle and I don't really throw that word around lightly, but she really is."
Despite the hardships, Hough and Erbert have continued to support each other, as showcased in a cute Instagram video shared earlier this month.
In the video, Erbert surprises Hough with a "little day date adventure" for Valentine's Day, emphasizing the importance of intention, gratitude, and spending quality time together amid her ongoing recovery.
For more on Erbert's recovery and the couple's dancing love story, check out the links below.
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