Rebecca Gayheart remained steadfastly committed to supporting her ex-husband Eric Dane during his heartbreaking fight with ALS, even after their separation. In a deeply personal essay published in The Cut on December 29, 2025, Gayheart described the moment Dane first told her about his diagnosis over the phone from a doctor’s office in San Francisco. Both were “weeping,” she wrote, as she tried to shield their youngest daughter from the news while hiding in her closet. “It didn’t feel real because he was still okay,” she recalled. The symptoms had started a year earlier—struggles with chopsticks, dropping food during family meals—and Dane had initially been misdiagnosed before confirming ALS. Gayheart emphasized that despite their split, they remained close: living just 12 minutes apart, sharing meals, drop-by visits with their daughters Billie and Georgia, and daily conversations. “He made it very clear that he wants to spend time with his family as much as possible, and I am committed to facilitating that,” she wrote. Though their relationship was “confusing” to outsiders, she described it as a deep familial love that endured beyond romance.
Gayheart filed for divorce in February 2018 but later requested to dismiss the petition in March 2025—just a month before Dane publicly revealed his diagnosis. She told PEOPLE in September that the family was taking it “day by day,” relying on therapists and trying to move forward with “dignity, grace and love.” Dane, in his own interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, said they had become “better friends and better parents,” calling Gayheart his “biggest champion” and “most stalwart supporter.” Dane died at 53 on February 19, 2026, surrounded by loved ones, including Gayheart and their daughters. His family described him as a passionate advocate for ALS awareness and research, grateful for the support he received.
Gayheart’s unwavering presence during Dane’s final months highlights a bond that transcended divorce. In the face of a cruel disease, she chose family, compassion, and commitment—qualities that defined their relationship even in its most challenging chapter.