'DWTS' judge Derek Hough suffers “unbearable” loss after saying goodbye to beloved family member

For 14 years, Romie was there through almost every chapter of Derek Hough’s adult life.

Now, the Dancing With the Stars judge is mourning the loss of the beloved dog who had been by his side through some of his happiest moments — and some of his hardest.

Emotional tribute

Losing a dog is never “just losing a pet.”

For so many people, they are family – there through the happiest moments, the hardest days, and all the ordinary little moments in between.

Dancing with the Stars judge Derek Hough was reminded of that painful truth just a few days ago.

Hough announced on October 25 that Romie had died, sharing an emotional tribute to the dog who had been his constant companion for more than a decade.

“Romie came into my life when I was just trying to figure life out, it was just me and him,” Hough wrote.

Back then, it was simply Derek and his dog.

But over the years, everything changed.

One more milestone

Romie was there as Hough built his career, found love with Hayley Erbert, got married and eventually became a father. Through it all, the dog remained a familiar presence at his side.

Hough said Romie had seen him at both his best and his worst, loving him through every stage of life and even giving him “purpose when I couldn’t find it myself.”

And when Hough and Erbert welcomed their daughter, Everley Capri, in December 2025, there was one more milestone Hough desperately wanted Romie to experience.

He had grown older and was becoming weaker, so Hough asked his longtime companion to hold on just a little longer — long enough to meet his “little sister.”

Romie did.

One of the videos later shared by Erbert showed baby Everley crawling alongside the family’s longtime dog, a final precious memory of the two together.

Erbert had loved Romie for 11 years herself. In her tribute, she called him her “buddy boy” and remembered him as a gentle giant who somehow believed he was a lap dog.

“He was my adventure buddy, my snuggle buddy, the leader of our pack,” she wrote.

Became a protector

Romie had also become a protector and a beloved part of the family, watching over Hough and Erbert as their lives continued to grow.

But in his final days, Hough knew the end was getting close.

He shared that Romie “isn’t doing too good” and said 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,” Hough wrote.

After Romie’s death, Hough described the strange emptiness of waking up and instinctively looking toward the place where his dog would normally appear.

This time, Romie wasn’t coming around the corner.

Hough thanked him for choosing their family and for everything he had given them over the years. He admitted there was “an ache that feels unbearable.”