Derek Hough has opened up about the severe bullying he endured as a child, recounting a terrifying incident where a bully put a gun to his head. The 41-year-old television personality, who became a father late last year with his wife Hayley Erbert, shared these painful memories during an episode of The Bossticks podcast released on Monday.
Struggling to Fit In
The Dancing With The Stars professional described feeling like an outsider at school, struggling to fit in with his peers. 'Being a dancer didn't help. I would get the crap beaten out of me,' Hough said. He recalled one particularly violent encounter: 'At one school a kid punched me in the face, I was bleeding everywhere. But then I retaliated and started beating him up and then I got expelled from school.'
However, the treatment from neighbourhood children was even worse. 'They would, like, hang me up in a tree by my ankles and put a gun to my head and spit on me or hogtie me in a field and it was... I was scared,' Hough added.
Night Terrors and Fear
The constant bullying led to severe anxiety. 'I was a scared kid. I was a terrified kid,' Hough told the podcast hosts. 'Scared of the dark. Scared of my shadow. Just, scared and constantly on edge.' He also experienced night terrors and bedwetting as a result of the trauma.
At age 12, Hough moved to London to train and compete in professional dancing. This relocation proved transformative. 'It was interesting. Once I was there, I felt... it was like I was on track. You know, and I felt safe. I actually felt safe being away. I felt like I had a goal, I had a vision. I knew what I was doing,' he explained. He no longer felt like he was 'floating around' and 'being scared,' instead gaining a sense of 'clarity,' which he described as 'power.'
Previous Reflections on Bullying
Hough has spoken about his bullying experiences before. In October 2024, he shared a video on Instagram reflecting on the impact of bullying as he prepared for fatherhood. 'For those of you who don't know this about me, I was severely bullied as a kid myself,' he said. He recounted being 'beaten up' and 'spat on.' He added, 'It really got me thinking about the world that we're shaping for each other. Somewhere along the line, we've almost been conditioned, maybe without even realizing it, that the fastest way for us to be noticed is to lean into negativity. To cut through the noise by putting others down or by being the loudest critic in the room.'
He encouraged others to reflect: 'As I step into fatherhood, this is something that I'm committing to reflecting on, and I invite you to try it out. I know there will always be negativity out there, but if you're up for a little reflection, let's pause before we post, before we comment and ask, "Am I being a force for good?"'
Family Life
Hough married fellow dancer Hayley Erbert in 2023 during a romantic ceremony in Monterey County, California. Erbert shared with People magazine about the wedding: 'We got married right in front of this mother tree that's surrounded by all these smaller trees. They drop all the seeds, and it plants kind of like an army of children to protect the mother. The symbolism of it was beautiful. We're here, planting our seeds to grow our family.'
Later that same year, Erbert underwent emergency brain surgery after being diagnosed with a cranial hematoma from a burst blood vessel. In July 2025, the couple announced they were expecting their first child, and later revealed a previous miscarriage. Their daughter, Everley Capri Hough, was born on December 29, 2025. The couple shared the news on Instagram, writing: 'Every step of our lives has led us to you. Our hearts have been cracked wide open and our world is forever changed.'
