The Heartbreaking Details About Derek Hough's Personal Life
The following article contains mentions of suicide.
Derek Hough is known for his mega-watt smile, especially when performing on "Dancing With the Stars." The professional dancer is one of the most successful regulars on the show, having won six Mirrorball trophies during his 17-season reign. One of Hough's fondest memories is dancing with Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy. He told Entertainment Weekly about how they worked closely with prosthetic doctors to create different feet and legs so Purdy could dance. "For me, it was more extraordinary to see her eyes light up when she realized she could do things she never thought she could do," he stated.
One not-so-good memory was losing the "All-Stars" trophy in 2012 with his partner Shawn Johnson. During an "Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe" podcast episode, he recalled feeling "devastated" coming in second and feeling like he let his partner down. However, he added that losing "lit a fire" in him and he ended up winning the next two seasons.
Hough is no stranger to putting pressure on himself, and while his life may seem charmed, there were many heartbreaking moments he's had to endure over the course of his life.
Derek Hough was bullied as a kid
It wasn't easy for Derek Hough to be a child dancer growing up in Utah. In an interview on Radio Andy, he told Andy Cohen that he was "bullied pretty severely." The six-time "Dancing With the Stars" winner revealed that he had gone to six different schools because of the bullying. "There's been some interesting things in the past. Some trauma ... it just wasn't a great environment," he admitted.
Hough shared that other kids to tormented him because he was a dancer. "They would tie my ankles up, you know, with rope and hang [me] up in a tree," he told "Good Morning America" (via ABC News). Hough recalled how his mom encouraged him to fight back. "So I did," he added. The dancing pro has been open about his childhood struggles and was honored with the Inspirational Award by the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network for bringing awareness to bullying. As for whether Hough harbors any ill will toward his former bullies, he shared, "It's important to forgive."
Derek Hough was sent to live in London when he was barely a teen
Derek Hough faced another hardship when he was 13 years old and was sent to live with his family friend Shirley Ballas, who is the mother of another "Dancing With the Stars" pro, Mark Ballas, in London, per People. He and his sister Julianne Hough studied dance at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where they were faced with a rigorous schedule that started at 6:45 a.m. and ended after 11 p.m. "It was hard. There were moments when I just wanted to go and have fun," Derek stated. At the time, his parents were going through a divorce and his father Bruce shared that it was a "very difficult time" for the Hough family. "We didn't want them to have to choose between their parents, and they had a great opportunity in England," Bruce told People.
Although being without his parents and other sisters was hard, he's thankful to his parents for giving him the opportunity to study in London. "What beautiful parents to be able to trust in us as kids and believe in us that we knew what we were doing to allow that," he told "LA Stories" (via Spectrum News 1). As an adult, he found out a sad tidbit about how his mom would wake up in the morning crying because she would miss her two kids. "I didn't know that ... I'm like heartbroken," he shared.
Derek Hough had a few health scares
Being a professional dancer is physically demanding and Derek Hough knows when to listen to his body. "Woke up at 3am with a severe and a sharp pain in my abdomen. Knew something wasn't right. Turned out it was appendicitis and had surgery to remove my appendix straight away," he shared on Instagram in 2019. Hough shared a video of himself doing a little dance for his now-wife Hayley Erbert post-surgery and admitted that he was "still a little (a lot) medicated."
Thankfully, he's okay now, but in 2021, Hough went through another medical issue when he contracted COVID-19. "Hey everyone I have some news to share and I wanted you to hear it straight from me. Even though I've been fully vaccinated, I've just been diagnosed with a breakthrough case of Covid," he told fans in an Instagram video. He went on to say that he was feeling "strong" and heeding advice from doctors. Hough had to skip out on judging "Dancing With the Stars" but shared in a virtual appearance that he had "turned a corner," adding, "I'm so sad I can't be there with you all."
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert endured a horrifying car crash
The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, but for Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert, their 2022 celebrations were marred by a scary car accident. Right before Christmas, Hough and Erbert shared in a joint Instagram post, "On December 12, Derek and I got into a pretty scary car accident in the mountains. Our accident involved a steep hill, icy roads, a tree, and worst of all, the fear that we would slide off the mountain." The video montage showed the scene of the accident and Erbert getting stitches on her brow. Hough added in the comments section that he felt scared when his then-fiancé was "dazed afterwards" and she kept insisting they go to dinner as she was bleeding.
Following the accident, Hough appeared on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" and joked that Erbert was like Marvel's Wolverine because she healed so fast. "It makes you think about, just life you know, and just how precious it is," he reflected.
Derek Hough faced tragic losses in his life
When Stephen "tWitch" Boss died in December 2022, the world mourned the loss of an enigmatic dancer. Tragically, Derek Hough faced a loss of his own a few weeks prior and shared in an emotional video that a man he knew died by suicide on Thanksgiving. "It was a complete shock because he was the most positive, just optimistic, beautiful man you could ever imagine," Hough stated. The dancer, who knew Boss from when he was a guest judge on "World of Dance," went on to say, "Now I'm learning about Stephen and the fact that he went the exact same way as this man within a few weeks, it's just heartbreaking, confusing, shocking." Hough implored those who were in a dark place to reach out and assured them that they were not alone.
Hough lost another dear friend, longtime head judge of "Dancing With the Stars," Len Goodman, on April 22 from bone cancer. During the "Whine Down With Jana Kramer" podcast, Hough revealed that he knew Goodman was sick but "didn't know the extent." He stated that he was "incredibly sad" and that he and fellow "DWTS" cast members leaned on each other through their loss. Hough revealed that he knew Goodman before the show and had actually met him while living in London as a kid. He mused, "I really savored the moments I spent with him."
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org