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Image Credit: Matt Winkelmeyer
The union between Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart experienced many high and low points, yet she ultimately remained at his side in good times and bad. The former Grey’s Anatomy actor, who passed away on February 19, 2026, at 53 years old, was wedded to his spouse from 2004 until they made known their split in 2018. Almost seven years after, Rebecca sought to retract her plea for a split from Eric so she could be a support for him during his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) struggles.
Hollywood Life examines Rebecca and Eric’s previous split and reunion before his passing.
Why Did Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart Split Up?
In Rebecca’s 2018 legal document for separation, she mentioned “unresolvable conflicts” as the basis for their parting. The pair issued a mutual announcement during that period concerning their breakup.
“After being together for 14 years, we’ve concluded that bringing our marriage to an end is the optimal choice for our family,” they expressed at the time. “We shall maintain our bond of friendship and function together as a team to jointly raise our two gorgeous daughters, as they are of utmost importance to us. We respectfully request that you honor our privacy during this period as we maneuver through this next stage of our lives.”
Eric and Rebecca had two daughters in their family: Billie and Georgia.
Did Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart Reconnect?
Indeed, Rebecca formally requested to take back her separation request from Eric in 2025 subsequent to his disclosure of his ALS diagnosis. In her December 2025 piece with The Cut, the actress clarified that the affection between her and the late Euphoria star “may not be of a romantic nature, but rather a familial kind of love.”
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What Prompted Rebecca Gayheart to Drop Divorce Proceedings Against Eric Dane?
Rebecca made a legal request to withdraw her application to end her marriage with Eric in March 2025, several weeks prior to him publicizing his battle with ALS. She expressed her thoughts regarding her choice in her writing featured in The Cut later in that year, unveiling that she would substitute Eric’s “around-the-clock nurses” during “periods when shift coverage was not available.”
“Eric is aware that I will continuously desire what serves him best,” the Beverly Hills, 90210 performer penned. “That I will strive to act in his best interests. And I’m confident he would reciprocate in the same manner for me. … Therefore, in whichever way I can contribute or present myself to alleviate or improve his journey, I wish to do so. And I aim to embody that for my daughters: ‘That embodies the appropriate action. That’s what one should do.”
Mentioning their offspring as the major cause behind their mending of fences, Rebecca included, “I believe it provides a positive view for the children, seeing perhaps a gentler aspect of our characters. It’s not as though they maintain aspirations of us reuniting [romantically] … because they grasp the reality of the circumstances. And ideally, what they perceive instead are a pair of grown-ups endeavoring to exhibit maturity and concentrating on the significant aspects.”
Essentially, Rebecca’s intention was to “capitalize on the remaining period [Dane] possesses right now” given that “he has conveyed very clearly his preference to invest as much time as feasible with his family” through his concluding months.