diff --git a/changelog/12472.bugfix.rst b/changelog/12472.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f08e9d1f90b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/12472.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fixed a crash when returning category ``"error"`` or ``"failed"`` with a custom test status from :hook:`pytest_report_teststatus` hook -- :user:`pbrezina`.
diff --git a/src/_pytest/reports.py b/src/_pytest/reports.py
index 2f39adbfa6f..d0a3b038a46 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/reports.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/reports.py
@@ -190,11 +190,17 @@ def head_line(self) -> str | None:
             return domain
         return None
 
-    def _get_verbose_word(self, config: Config):
+    def _get_verbose_word_with_markup(
+        self, config: Config, default_markup: Mapping[str, bool]
+    ) -> tuple[str, Mapping[str, bool]]:
         _category, _short, verbose = config.hook.pytest_report_teststatus(
             report=self, config=config
         )
-        return verbose
+
+        if isinstance(verbose, str):
+            return verbose, default_markup
+
+        return verbose[0], verbose[1]
 
     def _to_json(self) -> dict[str, Any]:
         """Return the contents of this report as a dict of builtin entries,
diff --git a/src/_pytest/terminal.py b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
index 26c573f583e..f364316e2e2 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/terminal.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/terminal.py
@@ -1206,10 +1206,10 @@ def show_simple(lines: list[str], *, stat: str) -> None:
         def show_xfailed(lines: list[str]) -> None:
             xfailed = self.stats.get("xfailed", [])
             for rep in xfailed:
-                verbose_word = rep._get_verbose_word(self.config)
-                markup_word = self._tw.markup(
-                    verbose_word, **{_color_for_type["warnings"]: True}
+                verbose_word, verbose_markup = rep._get_verbose_word_with_markup(
+                    self.config, {_color_for_type["warnings"]: True}
                 )
+                markup_word = self._tw.markup(verbose_word, **verbose_markup)
                 nodeid = _get_node_id_with_markup(self._tw, self.config, rep)
                 line = f"{markup_word} {nodeid}"
                 reason = rep.wasxfail
@@ -1221,10 +1221,10 @@ def show_xfailed(lines: list[str]) -> None:
         def show_xpassed(lines: list[str]) -> None:
             xpassed = self.stats.get("xpassed", [])
             for rep in xpassed:
-                verbose_word = rep._get_verbose_word(self.config)
-                markup_word = self._tw.markup(
-                    verbose_word, **{_color_for_type["warnings"]: True}
+                verbose_word, verbose_markup = rep._get_verbose_word_with_markup(
+                    self.config, {_color_for_type["warnings"]: True}
                 )
+                markup_word = self._tw.markup(verbose_word, **verbose_markup)
                 nodeid = _get_node_id_with_markup(self._tw, self.config, rep)
                 line = f"{markup_word} {nodeid}"
                 reason = rep.wasxfail
@@ -1237,10 +1237,10 @@ def show_skipped(lines: list[str]) -> None:
             fskips = _folded_skips(self.startpath, skipped) if skipped else []
             if not fskips:
                 return
-            verbose_word = skipped[0]._get_verbose_word(self.config)
-            markup_word = self._tw.markup(
-                verbose_word, **{_color_for_type["warnings"]: True}
+            verbose_word, verbose_markup = skipped[0]._get_verbose_word_with_markup(
+                self.config, {_color_for_type["warnings"]: True}
             )
+            markup_word = self._tw.markup(verbose_word, **verbose_markup)
             prefix = "Skipped: "
             for num, fspath, lineno, reason in fskips:
                 if reason.startswith(prefix):
@@ -1421,8 +1421,10 @@ def _get_line_with_reprcrash_message(
     config: Config, rep: BaseReport, tw: TerminalWriter, word_markup: dict[str, bool]
 ) -> str:
     """Get summary line for a report, trying to add reprcrash message."""
-    verbose_word = rep._get_verbose_word(config)
-    word = tw.markup(verbose_word, **word_markup)
+    verbose_word, verbose_markup = rep._get_verbose_word_with_markup(
+        config, word_markup
+    )
+    word = tw.markup(verbose_word, **verbose_markup)
     node = _get_node_id_with_markup(tw, config, rep)
 
     line = f"{word} {node}"
diff --git a/testing/test_terminal.py b/testing/test_terminal.py
index 01a84fd8d2c..5e3f631e22b 100644
--- a/testing/test_terminal.py
+++ b/testing/test_terminal.py
@@ -326,16 +326,17 @@ def test_rewrite(self, pytester: Pytester, monkeypatch) -> None:
         tr.rewrite("hey", erase=True)
         assert f.getvalue() == "hello" + "\r" + "hey" + (6 * " ")
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("category", ["foo", "failed", "error", "passed"])
     def test_report_teststatus_explicit_markup(
-        self, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch, pytester: Pytester, color_mapping
+        self, monkeypatch: MonkeyPatch, pytester: Pytester, color_mapping, category: str
     ) -> None:
         """Test that TerminalReporter handles markup explicitly provided by
         a pytest_report_teststatus hook."""
         monkeypatch.setenv("PY_COLORS", "1")
         pytester.makeconftest(
-            """
+            f"""
             def pytest_report_teststatus(report):
-                return 'foo', 'F', ('FOO', {'red': True})
+                return {category !r}, 'F', ('FOO', {{'red': True}})
         """
         )
         pytester.makepyfile(
@@ -344,7 +345,9 @@ def test_foobar():
                 pass
         """
         )
+
         result = pytester.runpytest("-v")
+        assert not result.stderr.lines
         result.stdout.fnmatch_lines(
             color_mapping.format_for_fnmatch(["*{red}FOO{reset}*"])
         )
@@ -2385,8 +2388,8 @@ def __init__(self):
             self.option = Namespace(verbose=0)
 
     class rep:
-        def _get_verbose_word(self, *args):
-            return mocked_verbose_word
+        def _get_verbose_word_with_markup(self, *args):
+            return mocked_verbose_word, {}
 
         class longrepr:
             class reprcrash: