A Look At Rebecca Gayheart And Eric Dane's Unconventional Relationship Before His Death

"Grey's Anatomy" star Eric Dane tragically passed away on February 19, 2026 just 10 months after announcing he'd been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). And though fans are mourning this devastating loss, many gain comfort from knowing that he spent his final days surrounded by his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters, Billie and Georgia. This might have been a given for regular couples, but the final years of Gayheart and Dane's relationship were anything but typical.

They tied the knot in 2004 and, like many Hollywood couples, kept the tabloids fed with their dramatic relationship, which included cheating scandals and Dane's painkiller addiction that required a stint in rehab. Dane eventually spoke to People in 2014 about regretting getting his wife "wrapped up in all that," but the damage was done, and it wasn't shocking when Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018. What was surprising was that by June 2019, neither party seemed particularly keen on taking the next steps in their divorce, despite being separated. People even reported that the Superior Court of Los Angeles had sent both Dane and Gayheart notices warning them that their divorce petition would be dismissed if they didn't take steps to move the process along.

Despite this, the couple continued living their lives without their divorce proceedings making much headway. They also seemed to do the opposite of the parallel parenting approach and stayed deeply involved with each other, often vacationing together. In 2022, Gayheart shared a picture of the "Euphoria" actor on Instagram with the caption, "This is us, family vacay 2022." In 2023, they were even spotted holding hands during another vacation in Mexico. But by November 2024, Dane was seen on a date with actor Priya Jain.

Considering that Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane had been linked to different people romantically, fans began to settle into the idea that they were simply friendly exes who had mastered co-parenting. However, in March 2025, Gayheart withdrew her divorce petition. This seemed to be positive news for the couple, and confirmation that they planned to work things out.

Unfortunately, a month later, they revealed the real reason they'd called off the divorce: Dane had been diagnosed with ALS. Gayheart shared that Dane had called her as soon as he received the diagnosis. "When he told me that day, he just started weeping, as did I. It didn't feel real because he was still okay," she said in an essay published in The Cut, where she also spoke about how to help others while maintaining your own care.

In November 2025, Gayheart spoke again on the issue as a guest on the "Broad Ideas" podcast. When hosts Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen asked why she'd decided to support Dane the way she had, she had this to say: "I am definitely trying to show [our daughters] that we show up for people no matter what. He is our family, he is your father."

In her December 2025 essay for The Cut, Rebecca Gayheart gave a candid look into her relationship with Eric Dane. "Eric and I have known each other for a million years now; we met in 2003. I care about him deeply," she wrote. "He's dated other people, I've dated someone. It's a very complicated relationship, one that's confusing for people." She also added that while the love between them was more familial than romantic, they both trusted each other deeply.

"Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I'm going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me," she shared. Beyond supporting him emotionally, Gayheart revealed that she'd also taken shifts of caregiver duties for Dane. "There are times that shifts aren't covered, so I cover them," she explained. 

The "Jawbreaker" actor further spoke about how to support a loved one suffering from a life-threatening illness and the learning curve involved. "We went to have sushi one night, and it was the first time I had to unload the wheelchair and open it and get Eric into it on my own," Gayheart wrote. Unfortunately, she struggled with the mechanics of the chair, and the onlookers simply watched and took pictures. "I had a flashback from when I was a new mom and I didn't know how to open the car seat — panicking and the baby's crying and I'm trying to do this. It was that kind of a feeling, just awful." Despite the struggle, Gayheart wrote in no uncertain terms that she had no plans to stop supporting Dane, explaining, "Whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that."