As a lot as Rebecca Gayheart tried to remain constructive, the actress was taking steps to ensure her household was ready for husband Eric Dane’s loss of life.
“I attempt to keep within the second, despite the fact that there’s no escaping fascinated about the longer term. I fear a lot about my women dropping their father — they’re going by way of this whereas experiencing all of the pressures which can be placed on younger women, and I wish to do all the things in my energy to provide them the instruments they’ll want,” Gayheart, 54, wrote in a private essay for The Lower revealed in December 2025. “They are going to be completely different due to this. I do know that. One factor I’ve realized, and that is one thing I’m engaged on, is that I spend a lot time navigating everybody else’s feelings round this, I haven’t actually sat down and investigated how I really feel about issues.”
Almost one week after Dane was recognized with ALSthe Gray’s Anatomy alum and Gayheart selected to inform their two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.
Gayheart defined that she and her husband “wished to have full transparency and honesty with them” as they navigated one thing unfamiliar collectively.
“I requested a therapist, ‘What’s one of the simplest ways to do that?’” Gayheart wrote in her essay. “We’ve had a household therapist who we’ve been working with since we separated, however I sought out skilled assist focused towards teenage women as a result of it’s such a formative time of their lives — they’re attempting to individuate whereas they’re having to take care of this actually big loss and anticipatory grief. And he or she mentioned, ‘The children will let you already know; they’ll cease asking questions once they can’t deal with it anymore, when it’s an excessive amount of data.’”
Gayheart initially took steps in February 2018 to legally finish her marriage to Dane. In March 2025, nevertheless, she filed to dismiss their divorce proceedings.
“We wished to provide (our youngsters) the chance to talk with (Dane’s) physician, as a result of they’d plenty of questions that at that time I couldn’t reply, and I don’t even know if Eric may reply them,” Gayheart continued in her essay. “They’ve talked to her, and so they know that she’s accessible always.”
Information broke on Thursday, February 19, that Dane had died on the age of 53 following his ALS analysis. In a press release obtained by Us Weeklyhis household revealed that the actor was “surrounded by pricey buddies” in his closing days.
“All through his journey with ALS, Eric grew to become a passionate advocate for consciousness and analysis, decided to make a distinction for others dealing with the identical battle,” the assertion learn. “He will probably be deeply missed and lovingly remembered all the time. Eric adored his followers and is perpetually grateful for the outpouring of affection and help he’s acquired. The household has requested for privateness as they navigate this not possible time.”
Earlier than Dane’s loss of life, Gayheart shared a precious lesson she discovered about life and never taking a second as a right.
“I say this lots: This isn’t the costume rehearsal. No matter you’re doing in the present day, that’s your life,” she wrote. “Eric getting the ALS analysis has introduced that to the forefront of my thoughts. So dwell for in the present day. Put on the footwear, put on the good bag, don’t maintain it within the mud bag. Put the good sheets in your mattress, like, what are we ready for?”