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Derek Hough welcomed his miracle baby daughter and is now opening up about the incredible new chapter unfolding in his life. Just over two months after Everley Capri’s December 29, 2025 birth, the Dancing with the Stars judge can’t stop gushing about fatherhood. His journey from heartbreak to this joyous moment reveals everything about second chances.
🔥 Quick Facts
- Baby Name: Everley Capri Hough, born December 29, 2025
- Parents: Derek Hough (age 40) and wife Hayley Erbert Hough (age 31), married since August 2023
- Rainbow Baby: Couple overcome previous miscarriage in 2024 and Hayley’s brain surgery in late 2023
- Home Birth: Everley arrived in intimate home birth with candles and music, covered in PEOPLE Magazine
The Miracle After Impossible Odds
Derek Hough and Hayley Erbert call Everley their “rainbow after the storm.” The couple endured three consecutive traumatic years before welcoming their daughter. In 2022, they were involved in a serious car accident that left Hayley with four stitches on her forehead. This tragedy foreshadowed darker days ahead.
Just one year later, everything changed when Hayley collapsed during a performance in December 2023. A ruptured blood vessel caused a burst brain bleed, requiring emergency surgery. Doctors removed about 40 percent of her skull to relieve critical pressure. Derek recalls watching his wife fight through unimaginable pain. Her courage and resilience became the foundation for what came next.
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From Heartbreak to Hope: The Miscarriage and Road to Everley
The couple thought healing had begun when they announced a pregnancy in July 2025 after their devastating 2024 miscarriage. But caution defined this journey. Hayley and Derek waited until nearly 20 weeks before revealing the pregnancy publicly. They got extra scans, extra assurance, extra everything. Fear lingered in every moment.
“I’d get really scared that something happened,” Hayley shared with PEOPLE Magazine. The couple lived fully, knowing this would be their last year as just the two of them. But home time brought relief. Derek watched his wife bloom during pregnancy. She had virtually no morning sickness, only food aversions and a growing sense of peace. By December 29, 2025, Everley Capri Hough arrived safely into their arms.
Home Birth, New Dad Jitters, and Instant Connection
| Baby Detail | Information |
| Birth Date | December 29, 2025 |
| Birth Location | Los Angeles home with candles and music |
| Name Meaning | “Everley was always at the top of our list,” Hayley said |
| First Month Milestone | Baby sleeps well, Derek makes first public outing to Golden Globes |
The birth was intimate, beautiful, and transformative for Derek. Candles flickered throughout their Los Angeles home. Music played softly. Derek held Hayley’s hand through contractions, witnessing the raw power of childbirth. “I was in awe the whole time,” he told PEOPLE. “Y’all women are badasses.”
But fatherhood terrified him initially. Everley was impossibly small and delicate. Derek held her once, felt overwhelmed by responsibility, and handed her back to Hayley. “I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” he confessed. Hayley reassured him: “We’re all figuring out this new life.” By his first public appearance at the Golden Globes on January 11, Derek had transformed. When asked about afterparties, he teared up saying, “No, no. I’m going straight home to my daughter.”
“There are so many times where I’m just quietly looking at her and tearing up. Hayley was meant for this. She is such a natural mother.”
— Derek Hough, Father and PEOPLE Magazine Interviewee
Parenting as a Power Couple: What’s Next for the Houghs
Derek returns to his “dad job” at Extra soon, working mornings and heading home afternoons. But the couple has bigger dreams. They’re planning to launch their Encore Tour in June with Everley in tow. Hayley wants to perform and dance again. Derek laughed about their busy schedule, admitting people always ask if they tire of working together. “No, we don’t,” he insisted, though Hayley noted “We have our moments in rehearsals.”
The question of more children came up naturally. Hayley joked about the saying: “Your first makes you want a million children, your second makes you feel like you have a million.” Derek playfully countered, “After this we’re like, ‘All right babe, let’s go!'” Their bond, strengthened by survival, suggests whatever comes next will be faced together. Whether it’s dance classes for Everley or more babies, this family is ready for the adventure ahead.
Why This Moment Matters: Celebrating Second Chances and Survival
Derek Hough’s journey to fatherhood represents more than just welcoming a baby. Everley Capri is a testament to resilience, faith, and the power of not giving up. Hayley fought back from a brain bleed that nearly took her life. The couple mourned a previous miscarriage. They feared every moment of this pregnancy. Yet here she is, a healthy two-month-old thriving in a loving home. Derek spent his 40s welcoming a daughter. Hayley proved nothing is impossible when you have support and determination. Their story is reshaping how we talk about resilience, parenting, and celebrating the miraculous.
