Rebecca Gayheart shared an update on how her teenage daughters, Billie and Georgia, are coping seven months after their father Eric Danein his death.
“You know, we’re hanging in there. I think it’s definitely a challenging season, but we’re doing our best,” Gayheart, 55, said. People on the red carpet for the 2026 Annual Step Up Inspiration Awards in Los Angeles on Friday, September 25. “Both girls are in high school — which is also a big transition in any situation — so I’m just staying close to my kids.”
Dane’s family confirmed that Us in the previous February Grey’s Anatomy the actor had died just shy of a year after going public with his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 53.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed away Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS,” his family’s statement read. “He spent his final days surrounded by loving friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world. Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others in the same fight. He sailed through this impossible time.”
Us it was confirmed later that month that Dane died of respiratory failure with ALS as the underlying cause.
In the months since Dane’s death, Gayheart celebrated her family’s first Father’s Day without the star and represented her late husband at their daughter’s Georgia middle school graduation.
Talking to People Friday, the Nip/Tuck the actress spoke about how she is dealing with her own grief over losing Dane. (Dane and Gayheart were separated at the time of his death, but never divorced. At the end of his life, Dane was in a relationship with the photographer Janet Shirtcliff while Gayheart has been linked to the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe Peter Morton.)
“[I connect with] friends My children,” she said at the Hollywood gala. “Being under the same roof with my children and keeping them by my side, safe, always makes me feel better. You know, there are some people I like to talk to to get my feelings out, but really just – again – to connect with another human being. That’s what gets me through.”
Rebecca Gayheart is still mourning the death of Eric Dane. “There are no words,” Gayheart, 54, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, March 18. “Our love forever – your girls ❤️🩹❤️.” The Jawbreakers actress, who was married to Dane from 2004 to 2018, posted a montage of throwback photos of the couple and their […]
Earlier this month, Gayheart asked Dane’s fans to encourage members of Congress to pass the ACT for ALS Bill, which she said would provide “$500 million for ALS research, treatment access and hope for families fighting this disease. (Separate versions of the ACT for ALS Reauthorization Act have passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate, although a final unified bill has not been sent to the President yet. Donald Trump for approval.)
“Please help us ensure that Congress does not continue to delay this bill,” she said. “Click the link to sign the petition or share it with a friend. …This would mean the world to my family.”
Gayheart and Dane were married from 2004 to 2018. Gayheart filed for divorce in February 2018 but ultimately withdrew her petition in 2025 after being diagnosed with ALS.