‘DWTS’ Mark Ballas Relied On Derek Hough Amid Family Tragedy
Professional dancers Mark Ballas and Derek Hough have been best friends since childhood. DWTS fans love watching their antics online and onscreen. But their friendship goes so much deeper than that.
Recently, Mark Ballas admitted that his friend helped him through a very dark time in his life.
Mark Ballas Feels Grateful To Have A Friend Like Derek Hough
Mark Ballas has formally retired as a pro dancer on DWTS. However, he’s open to occasional appearances. Fans went wild for his role as a guest judge during Season 33. And during the finale, he and Derek performed a fiery Argentine tango together.
But apart from performing, Derek and Mark hold an intensely deep bond.
Mark Ballas briefly returned as a pro dancer in Season 31 to compete with influencer Charli D’Amelio. The pair easily dominated the competition and won the season. However, Mark admits he was dealing with some personal challenges behind the scenes.
“I decided to go back to the season and found out my wife was pregnant,” he shared on the Trading Secrets podcast. “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.”
Thankfully, Mark and his wife, singer BC Jean, knew they weren’t alone. They relied on the love and support from friends and family to help see them through. Derek Hough was there through everything.
“At the time, Derek was one of the only people who knew,” Mark continued. “We really are like brothers. And we’ve been there for each other through each other’s ups and downs.”
Ballas Channeled His Grief Through Dance
Charli D’Amelio also did what she could to comfort Mark Ballas during his time of need. He shared that their Viennese waltz was all about his personal loss.
The performance “was very much dedicated to that. Like that letting the balloon go … I just got goosebumps,” Mark revealed. He added that performing on television while grieving his child was one of the hardest moments in his life.
“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,” Mark shared during the interview.
He and his wife went on to welcome a healthy son in 2023, Banksi Wylde Ballas.
“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.”
Are you happy to learn that Mark Ballas and Derek Hough are such good friends to one another? Leave your own thoughts in the comments below.
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