Hayley Erbert Hough is stubborn by her own admission. It’s a trait that has defined her life, but it took a life-threatening medical emergency for her to see it as her greatest superpower. “What was surprising and shocking to me was how stubbornness can be used as a positive thing as well,” Hough tells Her Campus in an exclusive interview.
The professional dancer had an emergency craniectomy two years ago, and says her refusal to back down was what she needed to survive. “I was so determined to be back out there and dancing that I was like, ‘I’m going to make this happen.’ I had a super, super clear vision and a clear goal of what I wanted to do, and I made it happen.”
And that’s exactly what she did. Just four months after the incredibly high-risk surgery, Hough was dancing again. It’s shocking to the average person, but to Hough, returning to dance wasn’t a hope — it was an inevitability. “I didn’t really know who I was without dance,” she says. “It never occurred to me how quickly [returning] would happen, but I knew that I had to get back out there. Not only because it’s my job, but it’s also what I’ve loved my entire life.”
Now, two years after the surgery, Hough has rebuilt her life and continued to tell her story — on social media, through dance, and with an upcoming documentary alongside her husband, former DWTS pro and current judge Derek Hough. “We are very vulnerable and open in it,” she says. “His support was so beyond important throughout the entire process — emotionally, physically, he was literally my rock throughout that entire time.”
But beyond the bright lights of the ballroom and the cameras, Hough has found a different, quieter kind of healing. For her, recovery wasn’t just about the big milestones and moments broadcast to the world — it was about the small routines that kept her grounded amidst the chaos. “The healing process is so uncertain. There are so many elements that are outside of your control, so you have to focus on the things that you can control, and one of those is daily routine,” she shares. “Being intentional about who you spend your time with and just doing things that make you happy is essential.”
Hough says she wouldn’t have been able to get through it all without her “full-on zoo” of three cats and two dogs. “Sticking to a routine where I’m caring for them as well as myself during such a crazy time was really important,” she says. “You have to be focused on caring for others — you can’t just always be super, super selfish.”
This companionship led Hough to her most recent collaboration with Wellness Pet Company, in which she planned a Wellness Supper Club and shared a meal (not literally, but at the same table) with her three cats — Palo, Lily, and Otis. “I truly do treat my animals like they’re my family, because they are,” she says. “And especially during the holidays, which is all about gathering.”
And with the holidays underway, Hough is continuing to stay grounded through the small moments — especially since she’s expecting to welcome her first child very soon. “I’m really just looking forward to all the firsts,” Hough shares. “[Derek and I] always get matching pajamas, and because we have five pets, we also get them matching pajamas, too. I’m really excited to add another little body to that.”