Rebecca Gayheart Reflects on Eric Dane's Final Days

Rebecca Gayheart spoke to People about the last days she spent with her husband, actor Eric Dane, who died in February at age 53 after a two-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Gayheart said she, Dane and their two teenage daughters, Billie and Georgia, were together when he passed, and she described the experience as both difficult and important.

"He was surrounded by the girls and I, the last days, hours, minutes of his life ... that was something so difficult but also really important," Gayheart said.

The couple, who separated after 14 years of marriage but never divorced, continued to co-parent their children. Gayheart recalled Dane informing her of his ALS diagnosis, noting that she tried to reassure him at the time. The family sought counseling and shared the news with their daughters together, with Dane expressing a desire to spend as much time as possible with them.

"We tried to be present through all our fear and frustration and uncertainty," Gayheart added.

Gayheart said the family maintained regular activities such as sushi lunches, dance recitals and movie nights, aiming to stay connected despite the illness. Dane is slated to appear posthumously in a memoir titled My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, scheduled for release in November. In the book, Dane wrote that Gayheart remained his best friend and primary support after his diagnosis.

"Rebecca not only shows up. She remains my best friend. ... She's the one I go to when I need to talk, when I need to scream, when I need to cry," the memoir excerpt reads.

Gayheart expressed gratitude that the memoir would allow their daughters to know their father as a person beyond his illness.