A ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judge Is Mourning the Loss of a Family Member After 14 Years Together — and His Final 3 Words Say It All

A “Dancing With the Stars” judge is mourning a beloved family member who remained by his side for 14 years, and his final three-word farewell was devastatingly simple.

The loss comes just months after another judge on the hit ABC competition publicly said goodbye to a beloved companion.

But this time, the bond stretched across some of the biggest milestones in the dancer’s life, from finding love and getting married to becoming a father.

And before the longtime family member died, there was one final introduction he had been asked to hold on for.

Another ‘DWTS’ Judge Has Suffered a Similar Loss

The “Dancing With the Stars” family has already seen one judge publicly mourn the death of a longtime pet this year. In January 2026, Carrie Ann Inaba announced the death of her dog Peanut in an emotional Instagram tribute.

“Goodbye my eternal love…my little queen. ❤️ It has been the honor of a lifetime to be yours,” she wrote. Now, another sitting judge has shared a loss of his own.

That judge is Derek Hough, who revealed on Sunday, October 25, that his longtime dog, Romie, had died after 14 years by his side. Hough and his wife, Hayley Erbert, both marked the loss with tributes featuring videos and memories of their dog.

For Hough, Romie’s death closed a chapter that stretched back to a much different period of his life. “Romie came into my life when I was just trying to figure life out, it was just me and him,” Hough wrote in his Instagram announcement.

For years, Romie was Hough’s constant. The “DWTS” judge said his dog had seen him at his worst and his best and loved him through it all. Hough also credited Romie with giving him “purpose when I couldn’t find it myself.”

As Hough’s life changed, Romie remained beside him. The dog watched him grow up, fall in love, and become a husband. But there was still one major family milestone ahead — and Hough wanted his dog there for it.

Romie Held On for One Final Milestone

Hough and Erbert announced in July 2025 that they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Everley Capri Hough, was born on December 29, 2025, following several challenging years for the couple.

Hough and Erbert were seriously injured in a car accident in 2022. The following year, Erbert faced a life-threatening medical emergency after a blood vessel burst and caused a brain bleed.

About 40 percent of her skull was removed to relieve the pressure, and she later received a skull implant. Then, in 2024, the couple suffered a miscarriage.

After Everley’s arrival, Erbert called their daughter “our rainbow after the storm” while speaking to People about their baby. “She’s been through so much,” Hough said of his wife.

“To see her go from where she was to now, giving birth, is amazing. My daughter has a great example here.” By then, Romie had grown older.

And Hough revealed in his farewell that when his dog began to tire, he made one special request: He asked Romie to hold on long enough to meet his “little sister,” Everley.

Romie did. One of the videos later shared by Erbert showed 9-month-old Everley crawling alongside the family’s longtime dog.

Hayley Had Loved Romie for 11 Years

While Romie had spent 14 years with Hough, Erbert had shared 11 years with him. In her own Instagram tribute to Romie, she called him her “buddy boy” and said he was the first dog she considered hers after moving to Los Angeles.

Romie became her adventure companion and snuggler, as well as the leader of the couple’s pack. Erbert also remembered their 65-pound dog as a gentle giant who seemed to believe he was a lap dog.

She thanked Hough for bringing Romie into her life and described the dog as the family’s protector. Romie had also become a big brother to Luna and, eventually, Everley.

Hough left a brief comment beneath his wife’s tribute. “Our beautiful boy ❤️,” he wrote. But Romie’s importance in their home had been evident long before the couple welcomed their daughter.

Their Rescue Pets Had Taken Over Their Home

In 2021, Hough opened up to People about life with the couple’s rescue animals. At the time, Hough and Erbert shared four rescue pets: Romi, an older German shepherd/husky mix; Luna, a younger German shepherd/husky mix; and cats Palo and Lily.

Hough admitted his camera roll had become almost entirely devoted to their animals. “It’s getting to be a real problem,” he joked. “I’ll be trying to find a photo, and it’s just cat, cat, dog, dog, more cat, dog.”

Romie, the oldest of the dogs, had even picked up a celebrity-inspired nickname as gray began appearing around his face.

“We’ve nicknamed Romi ‘George Clooney’ because he’s starting to get a little grey in his face, but he’s so cool and always just chilling, checking up on stuff around the house,” Hough said.

Luna was decidedly less relaxed. The couple jokingly called her “lunatic” because she was constantly running around, pulling out plants, and chasing things.

Palo, meanwhile, had been rescued from a gutter and developed a habit of interrupting Hough and Erbert’s yoga sessions. The cat would climb onto their backs during downward dog or walk between them as they stretched.

They nicknamed him “Prince Palo” because, Hough joked, he behaved as though he owned the house. Lily preferred a quieter approach, lounging on the living room couch and watching the other animals.

For Hough, however, the pets offered far more than entertainment. “No matter what’s going on in your life, there’s this, there’s this love and look on their face which says, ‘It’s going to be okay,'” he told People.

“Taking care of them, loving them, and playing with them remind me to be present.” He summed up their place in the household in five words: “They’re the loves of our lives.”

That connection also led Hough to support shelter animals through a Purina ONE initiative benefiting the Petfinder Foundation. “I know the joy, firsthand, that comes with the companionship of a rescue pet,” he said.

And when it came to the busy household he and Erbert had built, Hough had no complaints. “It’s a zoo here, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Hough Stayed by Romie’s Side

As Romie grew older, Hough remained close to him. In an update covered by Parade, the dancer shared a photo of himself lying on the floor nose-to-nose with his longtime companion.

Hough said Romie “isn’t doing too good” and revealed he had been sleeping on the floor beside him for several days. “My mind is racing thinking of all the different stages of life we’ve gone through together,” he wrote.

Those stages had eventually taken Hough from his years as a professional dancer on “Dancing With the Stars” to becoming a judge, marrying Erbert in 2023, and welcoming Everley in December 2025.

His farewell to Romie brought those years full circle. But it was the quiet change inside his home that Hough described most vividly.

The Familiar Spot Where Romie No Longer Appears

After Romie’s death, Hough said waking up without his longtime companion felt unreal. He found himself looking toward the spot where Romie would normally appear from around the bushes.

This time, he knew his dog would not come around the bend. Hough thanked Romie for choosing the family, carrying him through the years, and giving him so much.

He also reflected on the depth of the loss, writing that there was “an ache that feels unbearable.” But Hough connected that pain directly to the bond they had shared.

“But it’s also proof that love lived here fully. And you always will,” he wrote. The accompanying video showed Romie walking outside as a series of short messages appeared across the screen.

“14 years by my side.” Then: “I miss you so much already.” Another message followed. “My heart aches.” And then came the three words that distilled Hough’s 14-year bond with Romie into one final goodbye:

“Goodbye my son.” Hough followed them with, “My Romie boy.” The video ended with one final promise: “I will love you forever.” In the caption, Hough offered another farewell to the dog who had been beside him through so many chapters of his life.

“Goodbye for now my sweet sweet Romie Boy 💔🐕.” Erbert’s tribute ended with her own message to the companion she had loved for 11 years. “Until we find each other again, my buddy boy. ♥️🐻”