Eric Dane’s wife Rebecca Gayheart speaks out after his death from ALS

Dane’s death was announced Thursday, less than a year after he shared his ALS diagnosis LifestyleEric Dane’s wife Rebecca Gayheart speaks out after his death from ALSDane’s death was announced Thursday, less than a year after he shared his ALS diagnosisCarsen Holaday in New York Sunday 22 February 2026 14:43 ESTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverRebecca Gayheart is grateful for GoFundMe donors following Eric Dane's deathYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreRebecca Gayheart has spoken out after the death of her husband, Eric Dane.Gayheart shared a heartfelt tribute to the Grey’s Anatomy star, who died Thursday aged 53, just 10 months after he publicly announced he was diagnosed with ALS.After sharing throwback pictures Saturday of the late actor with the couple’s two children on Instagram, Gayheart noted her gratitude for those who have shown their support through a GoFundMe set up for the family.“I am so blown away by the outpouring of love and support from our community,” Gayheart wrote Sunday on her Instagram Stories. “There aren’t words to express our gratitude.”She added, “You are truly holding us up during this difficult time.”open image in galleryRebecca Gayheart has shared a tribute to her husband Eric Dane following his death from ALS (Getty Images)open image in galleryRebecca Gayheart shared her gratitude for her community's support on her Instagram Story following the death of her estranged husband (Instagram / rebeccagayheart)The fund for Dane’s teenage daughters, Billie and Georgia, had raised $295,000 — over half of the fundraiser’s $500,000 goal — as of Sunday afternoon.In a statement announcing Dane’s death, his family said: “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”Dane and Gayheart met in 2003, and the pair tied the knot less than a year later. They separated in 2017 after over a decade of marriage. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2025, but dismissed the filing after Dane’s ALS diagnosis.Although the couple was estranged, they remained close friends and co-parents for years, with Gayheart caring for Dane up until his death.While the pair each dated different people, Gayheart wrote in an essay for The Cut in December 2025 that their “love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love.”open image in galleryRebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane, pictured here in 2013, were married for over a decade before separating in 2017 (Getty)In his final, pre-recorded interview, Dane praised Gayheart as his “best friend” and “biggest champion.”“We’re still really best friends, but we’re not together,” he explained to Brad Falchuk in Netflix’s Famous Last Words interview that aired February 20. “By virtue of the distance of us living in separate homes, there’s a lot of time lost there. But I made sure that I can be there as much as possible and certainly when it counts.” He continued: “Well we still love each other deeply, I just don’t think we want to live with each other. But there’s a lot of love there.“I will never, by the time anybody sees this, would have ever fallen in love with another woman as deeply as I fell in love with Rebecca.”More aboutEric DaneDeathtributeJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesCommentsMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next