Derek Hough Fires Back at Bullies in Song with ‘American Idol’s Jax
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Did Derek Hough just post a diss track? The Dancing with the Stars judge teamed up with American Idol alum Jax for a new sassy TikTok. The pair sang a song from Hough’s perspective about a bully named Brad Everhart. The comments are full of people praising Hough and applauding the surprise cameo from his girlfriend, Hayley Erbert.
‘Dancing with the Stars’ Judge Derek Hough Claps Back at Bullies with Jax on TikTok
Jax has gone viral on TiKTok for her original songs written from different perspectives including a spam-caller, the kid she babysits, and Tinker Bell. She has over 6.6 million followers on the platform and is so close to hitting 100 million likes. Her video with Hough has already skyrocketed to 1.6 million views.
Hough sings about how high school was “pretty rough” because he got bullied by a kid named Brad. Jax sings a line about how Brad put Hough’s head in the toilet because he did ballet. The last few lines of the song are probably the best comeback of all time. Erbert joined in the video at this point, dancing with Hough. The pair started dating in 2015.
Hough sings, “Brad I bet you wonder/ Why the prom queen dumped you/ The one who got away and broke your heart/ Well it turns out she was a dancer/ Who liked boy dancers/ And you can catch them on the TV in your mom’s garage.”
The comments section of Jax’s TikTok is full of people trying to find the Brad Everhart that Hough is referencing. A few Brad Everhart’s gathered in the comments to say that they are not the person Hough is referring to in the video. Other commenters asked whether or not Jax is trying to hint that she will be on Season 30 of Dancing with the Stars.
Hough Has Opened Up About Being Bullied As a Child
Obviously, the song is meant to be a joke or a clap-back but it is an important mantra to hold for those who have been bullied before. It does get better. Hough has opened up about being bullied as a kid several times in the past. He spoke about his experiences being bullied while accepting an award at the GLSEN Gala in 2014.
“They would tie my ankles up with a very rough rope and hang me in a tree upside down, spit on me and call me names, even hold a gun to my head,” he said. “Coming from a family of hunters, I assumed the gun was real. I didn’t tell anybody — my parents or teachers or friends or sisters.”
Hough has long been passionate about spreading anti-bullying messages. In 2019, he posted an Instagram message directed at kids returning to school. He urged them to spread kindness. Dancing became his outlet to cope with all of the hate he received from others. He has since become a favorite on Dancing with the Stars because of his resilience.
