Mark Ballas Leaned on Derek Hough During 'Really Heavy Time' After Wife's Miscarriage DuringDWTSSeason

Mar. 15, 2025

Derek Hough and Mark Ballas on “Dancing with the Stars.".Photo:Disney/Eric McCandless

Disney/Eric McCandless

Mark Ballassays he leaned onDerek Houghwhen his wife had a miscarriage while he was competing onDancing with the Stars.

Ballas, who shares a 13-month-old son,Banksi Wylde Ballas, with his wife,BC Jean, shared that they welcomed their son a year after suffering pregnancy loss during the dancing competition’s 31st season, where he was teamed up withCharli D’Amelioand took home theMirrorball trophy.

“I decided to go back to the season and found out my wife was pregnant,” Ballas, now 38, shared with hostJason Tartickon his podcastTrading Secretson Dec. 2. “And then that week, we found that we had a miscarriage and I had to go to rehearsal and, you know, and that was a really heavy time.”

Mark Ballas with wife BC Jean in 2023.Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kevin Mazur/Getty

“At the time, Derek was one of the only people who knew,” Ballas said. “We really are like brothers. And we’ve been there for each other through each other’s ups and downs.”

Ballas shared that Charli and a “close group” of support“ helped me get through that. And that was very hard … very difficult time because you’re on this —  it just goes to show. Right? You watch these shows. Like, whether it beDancing with Stars,The Bachelor.Is It Cake?And you just don’t know where people are at. And even though we’re providing this this entertainment — that was top five hardest moments of my life.”

Derek Hough, BC Jean, Mark Ballas in 2017.Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty

Ballas shared that the team behindDancing with the Stars“was great with how they helped me navigate that week and stuff like that. But again, like, it’s not just a week of grief.”

He continued: “I still think about that, and the reason I spun to that is because there are those times during something that feels so, ‘Oh, you’re onDancing with the Stars. Oh, you’re on Broadway’ [but] we’re all human, and we have human experiences.”

“That was a very wild experience for me from going from the heaviness of that and seeing the person I love the most go through that and then having to provide the highest quality of competition and dancing that I can provide at that time. You know? So those are there are those moments."

“But I feel like in those moments, you learn, more about yourself, and I was lucky to have a good support system and Derek being one of them who, you know, really have my back.”

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source: people.com