The happy news comes two years after Erbert’s frightening health scare.

DWTS judge Derek Hough welcomes first baby with wife Hayley Erbert

The happy news comes two years after Erbert's frightening health scare.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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January 5, 2026 1:24 p.m. ET

Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough attend Disney's 'Tron: Ares' premiere on Oct. 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. Credit:

Frazer Harrison/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert just welcomed a new member to their family's dance troupe.

The *Dancing With the Stars *judge, 40, and his wife, 31, ended their year on a high note, by welcoming their first child, Everley Capri Hough, on Dec. 29. In a joint Instagram post on Monday, the couple announced the news with a sweet black-and-white snap of their hands together, cupping the tiny feet of their newborn daughter.

"Every step of our lives has led us to you," Hough captioned the post. "Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed."

Down in the comments section, the trio were met with plenty of love, including from Hough's own sister, Julianne, who wrote, "Welcome to the world sweet angel Everley."

Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough attend the Walt Disney Company's Emmy Awards Celebration on Sept. 15, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Araya Doheny/WireImage

Hough and Erbert tied the knot in August 2023, a decade after first crossing paths while working together on the *So You Think You Can Dance* tour in 2013. They didn't strike up a relationship until years later, and went public in 2017. Last June, they shared the happy news that they were expecting a child together via a dreamy video set against a scenic landscape.

"We can't believe the biggest thing to happen to us could be so small," the couple captioned their joint post.

The news came a few months after Hough hinted that having kids was definitely on the horizon for the couple, telling E! News that he was looking forward to having "little dancing children running around."

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The addition of Everley to their family is also a beautiful start to 2026 for Hough and Erbert, following a tumultuous few years for the couple. In December 2023, Hough announced that Erbert underwent an emergency craniectomy after being diagnosed with an intracranial hematoma (a collection of blood in her skull). The duo was in the middle of their *Symphony of Dance* tour when Erbert became disoriented and was transported to the hospital where they removed part of her skull to relieve pressure on the brain and then replaced the removed section.

Erbert eventually made an emotional return to the stage in April 2024, rejoining her husband to conclude the dance tour. Later that year, they performed together on *DWTS*.

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Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 33rd annual Academy Awards viewing party.

Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage

The couple offered fans a glimpse into another tough period in their lives in October, when they opened up about their previous pregnancy loss with a candid post honoring Pregnancy Loss and Awareness Month.

"This video is a tribute to a part of our story," they prefaced the footage. "A chapter of loss, love, celebration, heartbreak and everything in between. Although we are so excited to be welcoming our rainbow soon, we honor our baby that never made it earthside."

The video featured several clips from their first pregnancy journey — from telling friends and family their news, to the moment they learned they had experienced a miscarriage.

"There are some things in life that change you forever. For us, this is one of those things," continued their caption. "One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, a silent heartbreak so many families know, and one we unfortunately had to experience. As we share this, know that there’s a rainbow not far behind."

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