The Dancing with the Stars family seems to be a very tight-knit unit, as there have been many occasions on which former contestants, hosts and judges have shown up for each other. As of late, much of the community born from the long-running ABC show have been rallying around Derek Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert. Hough confirmed days ago that Erbert fell ill after they performed in Washington D.C. as part of their (now-postponed) Symphony of Dance tour. She ultimately had to have emergency surgery as a result of a cranial hematoma that resulted from a burst blood vessel. The outpouring of support the couple has received has been tremendous, and the latest person to send prayers amid Erbert’s recovery is Alfonso Ribeiro.
Over the weekend, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum, who co-hosts DWTS alongside Julianne Hough, was one of several series alums to reach out by commenting on a post Derek shared. The former child star subsequently took to his Instagram account to share another message. He shared a photo of Hough and his wife in his post and also shared a direct message in which he asked fans to “put love in your heart” and show their support:
Please send your prayers to @hayley.erbert and @derekhough and family. They mean everything to me and our family. Put love in your heart and send it to them.
The sentiments are very sweet, and what was also lovely is that a lot of fans took to the comments to share affection for the pair of dancers. Former contestant Alyson Hannigan – who crushed “Monster Night” and more in Season 32 – sweetly responded by saying, “everything for her.” Leave it to someone like Alfonso Ribeiro to set off such a wave of positivity. Historically, he’s used his platforms for good, and it’s simply wonderful to see him doing that on behalf of good friends.
As mentioned, the current host of America’s Funniest Home Videos was among a group of stars who reached out after Derek Hough provided an update on his spouse’s condition. Also showing love was Candace Cameron Bure – who’s known for supporting her DWTS co-stars, reacted with a string of prayer emojis and a heart. Series pro Koko Iwasaki also said that he’s “continuously praying and sending energy your way.” Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino sent sweet sentiments to the couple as well, saying “our family sends all our love to yours.”
In his latest post, Derek Hough explained that Hayley Erbert is now “on the long road of recovery.” He also took the time to thank the fans and his friends for the wave of support his family has received since he revealed the news. Additionally, the veteran dancer shared his hope that he and his relatives could have “somehow and someway pay it forward.” Hough and Erbert, whose marriage was met with love from many of their colleagues in August 2023, seem to have a large village of people behind them.
This is a delicate time for the couple, to say the least, and they could surely use all the support they can get. Alfonso Ribeiro (who you can watch on Dancing with the Stars using a Disney+ subscription) definitely makes a great point in that we should show love. It’s a unifying feeling and one that can do a lot of good, especially when it comes to a situation like this. So here’s to sending plenty of that as well as loads of positivity to Hayley Erbert and Derek Hough at this time.
