Derek Hough Announces Devastating Family Loss After 14 Years as Dancing with the Stars Judge Mourns ‘Unbearable’ Heartbreak

Derek Hough has announced the heartbreaking passing of his companion Romie, sharing that his beloved rescue dog died after 14 years by his side and fulfilled a final promise to meet Hough’s newborn daughter.

The 41-year-old Dancing with the Stars judge confirmed the loss in a poignant public statement, revealing that Romie held on through old age until the dancer welcomed his daughter, Everley Capri, with wife Hayley Erbert Hough.

For Hough, the transition has disrupted every familiar domestic routine.

“Waking up without him feels unreal,” Hough reflected, detailing the immediate shock of facing quiet corners of his home. “I keep looking at that spot where he’d usually come around the bushes, waiting, hoping. It’s strange to know he won’t come around that bend again.”

A Lifelong Bond Built from an Overnight Foster

Romie entered Hough’s world during an era of significant professional transitions in 2012, long before Hough became an established fixture on the judging panel.

The professional dancer had originally volunteered to walk shelter dogs at an animal rescue facility in Los Angeles. What was arranged as an informal, temporary overnight stay rapidly evolved into a lifelong commitment.

“He jumped on the couch and laid on my lap, and I was like, ‘Okay. You’re mine now,’” Hough previously shared when recalling the adoption. The canine accompanied the performer through high-stakes television rehearsals, national tours, and profound personal shifts.

Hough described the dog as an anchor through early adulthood.

“Romie came into my life when I was just trying to figure life out, it was just me and him,” Hough shared. “And for a long time, he was my constant. He saw me at my worst and at my best. He loved me through it all and somehow gave me purpose when I couldn’t find it myself.”

The Final Promise: Meeting Everley Capri

As Romie entered his senior years, Hough and his wife Hayley Erbert Hough, 32, prepared to welcome their first child. The couple celebrated the birth of their daughter, Everley Capri, in December 2025.

With Romie’s physical stamina declining, Hough shared that he made a heartfelt request of his ageing pet.

“He watched me grow up, fall in love, become a husband,” Hough noted. “And when he started to get tired, I asked him to hold on so he could meet his little sister, and he kept his promise. He held on.”

The Complex Reality of Pet Bereavement

Animal welfare specialists recognise that the death of a companion animal frequently triggers acute grief that mirrors the loss of a human family member. Companion animals create daily micro-routines that shape domestic life for decades, making the abrupt silence particularly disorienting.

• Routine disruption: Caregivers often continue to look for pets at usual feeding stations, back doors, and garden pathways.
• Sustained loyalty: Senior pets frequently bridge different developmental chapters in a person’s life, serving as sole witnesses to private struggles.
• Communal mourning: Acknowledging the bond openly helps families navigate the profound psychological adjustment of an empty household.

Hough previously offered public support to his sister, Dancing with the Stars co-host Julianne Hough, 38, following the loss of her two dogs in 2019, reflecting on the shared understanding among long-time pet owners that caring for an animal requires managing this inevitable final farewell.

Concluding his farewell to Romie, Derek Hough emphasised gratitude over despair: “There’s an ache that feels unbearable. But it’s also proof that love lived here fully. And you always will.”

💡 Navigating the loss of a long-time four-legged companion can often feel like losing a primary anchor to your past.

🔍 Finding ways to honour their memory helps many families work through the silence left behind in their daily routines.

👇 Have you ever had a companion animal who stayed by your side through major life transitions? Share your story in the comments below.