He put a ring on it! Dancing With the Stars veteran Derek Hough has been with girlfriend Hayley Erbert for 7 years. The two first met on his and sister Julianna Hough’s Move Live Tour in 2014. Hayley was cast as a dancer and within a year, the two became a couple. Hayley then joined the cast of DWTS as a troop dancer.
Derek, who went from longtime DWTS dancer to now judge, previously admitted to trying to conceal their relationship for privacy reasons. But they finally gave in and their love was better for it. He said in an October 2020 interview, “It was liberating, honestly, just being like, ‘Hey, this is our relationship. This is cool. This is what it is and it’s great.'”
Now Derek and Hayley are putting their happiness on full display. As reported by Page Six, the couple announced the news via Instagram. Derek posted an adorable snap of him holding Hayley up in the air in his arms. He captioned it, “It’s only the beginning…the beginning of forever.” Well wishes flooded into his comments section. DWTS pro Sasha Farber wrote,“Congratulations!!!!!! About time man!!!!” Jenna Dewan added, “Awwwwww yay congratulations!!!!!!” with a bunch of heart emojis for emphasis.
As for the proposal itself, Troy Williams of Simply Troy Lifestyle + Events helped plan the special moment. He told People, “Derek surprised her and got her out of the house for the afternoon. He wanted their home transformed. They’re an adventurous couple and have seen such big moments, but their home is their sanctuary and it’s where they fell even more in love.” He then shared, “After she said ‘yes,’ it was just everything — such a special, beautiful moment and just so them.”
It sounds like Derek finally found a time that felt right for him. He told Entertainment Tonight in 2017 about the pressure to get engaged, “I want to marry once. I want to be with that person that I love dearly. I want to get to know that person. I feel like if anything, it’s something that I don’t feel like should be rushed into doing at all.”
After finally going public, the two started a YouTube channel together and started sharing. In one video, Derek acknowledged that the number 1 question he gets asked is when will he get engaged. Derek claimed that he doesn’t have commitment issues, he just doesn’t feel pressured. In one of Hayley’s candid videos, she talked about when they first met. She recalled, “I wouldn’t say I was playing hard to get, but I definitely didn’t show Derek me.” But Derek knew from the get go. He gushed, “I saw her heart and I was like, ‘I love that.’”
The couple have even discussed with fans their desire to have a family down the road. Hayley said she would like three kids then laughed, “But I might pop out one and be like, ‘I’m done.’” Derek agreed, “I want children, [but] I don’t know how many. I guess I’ll know after the first one, like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this again!’”
TELL US – DID YOU THINK DEREK AND HAYLEY WOULD EVER GET ENGAGED? DO YOU HAVE ANY WEDDING PLANNING ADVICE FOR THEM? SHARE YOUR WELL WISHES BELOW!
[Photo Credit: ABC/Eric McCandles]
