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As Eric Dane faced the final moments of his life, his family fought to hold on to every precious moment.
Rebecca Gayheart, who remained close to Dane after their split in 2018, opened up about his final months battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the toll it took on their two daughters and how she keeps his memory alive.
Dane died on February 19, less than a year after publicly revealing his ALS diagnosis.
“We tried to be present despite all of our fears and frustrations and uncertainties,” Gayheart told People of the family’s final months together. “It was truly an exhausting and heartbreaking experience, but it also showed us her extraordinary strength every day, and it was truly wonderful for the girls and I to witness.”
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Eric Dane died on February 19, less than a year after publicly revealing his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). (John Shearer/WireImage)
While Gayheart tried to stay strong for Dane as they searched for answers about how his symptoms worsened before his diagnosis, she admitted that nothing could have prepared her for the news that he had ALS.
“I went into my closet and closed the door,” she told the outlet. “I always told him, ‘Everything will be fine, we’ll find a solution.’ But that day was like a punch in the gut. It took my breath away.”
While Gayheart and Dane struggled to accept the diagnosis themselves, they faced another challenge: explaining the news to their two young daughters.
“They had so many questions that it always felt like it wasn’t real,” she said. “And their father let them know that he wanted to try to spend as much time with them as possible.”
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Eric Dane began experiencing symptoms of ALS in early 2024, initially noticing numbness and difficulty using his right hand while eating sushi with his children. (Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
Dane began experiencing symptoms of ALS in early 2024.
“I’m eating sushi with my kids and suddenly I can’t handle the chopsticks with my right hand,” he wrote in his memoir, according to People. “My hand tingles, then my fingers go numb. Some kind of weird nerve problem, I think. I’m getting rid of it. I’m probably texting too much. Three weeks later it happens again, but worse. I can’t grip the chopsticks at all.”
The actor also addressed the emotional impact of Dane’s diagnosis in his own words.
“(Rebecca and I) were married for 14 years, separated, filed for divorce, but never got around to signing the papers. Since then, we have remained close, co-parenting, going on family vacations, spending time together, and now we talk every day,” Dane wrote. “I said to Rebecca on the phone, ‘This is what we feared.'”
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Rebecca Gayheart has opened up about Eric Dane’s final months, revealing how the family struggled with his diagnosis, difficult conversations with their daughters and their determination to keep his memory alive. (Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
“I don’t remember a single word I said after that,” he recalls. “I just remember feeling a violent impact, like I was knocked out of breath, and Rebecca was moaning on the other end of the line, and then I was really losing my mind, and my sobs were making my body shudder, and I could hear her words flowing through her tears, ‘I’m here, we’re going to fight together, I’m not going anywhere.'”
Gayheart and Dane married in Las Vegas on October 29, 2004 and welcomed two daughters, Billie, born in March 2010, and Georgia, born in December 2011. The two shared a love story that lasted over two decades, despite years of separation.
Following his death, Gayheart revealed the moments he misses most now that Dane is gone.
“After the kids downloaded me that day, I was calling him and saying, ‘Oh my God, there’s a boy who likes Georgia.’ Or when Billie got her driver’s license, I wanted to call her so much because it was something she was really excited about,” she told People.
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Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane married in October 2004 and welcomed two daughters, Billie and Georgia. Although they separated and filed for divorce, they remained close and continued to co-parent. (Jonathan Leibson/WireImage)
If she could talk to him now, Gayheart said she would want Dane to know how much his strength meant to their family and how deeply loved he was.
“I would say I’m proud of him, we all love him so much, and I hope he really felt it,” the “Urban Legend” star said.
As she and their daughters live without Dane, Gayheart said she is determined to honor his legacy by protecting their daughters and ensuring their father’s memory remains a constant presence in their lives.
“I’m going to take care of these girls and protect them with all my body and soul. And we’re not going to let people forget that.”
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