Rebecca Gayheart Reflects on Eric Dane's ALS Battle and Family Legacy

Rebecca Gayheart spoke about the last months of actor Eric Dane's life as he fought amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Dane died on Feb. 19, less than a year after publicly revealing his diagnosis. Gayheart, who remained close to Dane after their separation in 2018, described the family's effort to stay present despite fear and uncertainty.

"We tried to be present through all of our fear and frustration and uncertainty," she told People. "It was truly an exhausting and heartbreaking experience, but it also showed us his extraordinary strength every day, and that was really wonderful for the girls and myself to witness."

She recounted the shock of learning about the disease, saying she closed herself in a closet and felt the news was "like a punch in the gut." The couple also faced the challenge of explaining the condition to their two young daughters, Billie (born 2010) and Georgia (born 2011), noting the girls' many questions and the father's desire to spend as much time with them as possible.

Dane had first noticed symptoms in early 2024, describing difficulty using chopsticks in a memoir excerpt cited by People. He later wrote about their continued co-parenting relationship, stating they had remained close after their divorce filing and communicated daily.

"I say to Rebecca on the phone, ‘It’s what we feared.’"

Gayheart recalled moments she misses, such as calling Dane after their children achieved milestones. She said she wants him to know how much his strength meant to the family.

"I’d say that I’m proud of him, that we all love him so much, and I hope he really felt that," she said.

Looking ahead, Gayheart affirmed her commitment to protect their daughters and keep Dane's memory alive.

"I’m going to look after these girls and protect them with everything in my body and soul. And we’re not going to let people forget him."