The Complicated Truth About Rebecca Gayheart And Eric Dane's Marriage

The marriage between Rebecca Gayheart and the late Eric Dane, who died on February 19, 2025, was heartwarming, but by Gayheart's admission, complicated. The pair tied the knot in 2004 and welcomed two children, spending over a decade together until Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018. "... We have decided that ending our marriage is the best decision for our family. We will continue our friendship and work as a team to co-parent our two beautiful girls as they are the most important thing in the world to us," the pair said in a statement (via E! News). Only, they never actually divorced. In March 2025, she filed to dismiss proceedings.Yet unlike the celebrity couples who called off their divorce only to get back together, Gayheart and Dane agreed to stay in each other's lives unromantically following Dane's diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that causes irreversible damage to the body's neurons.

Gayheart was very open about what dealing with this health issue that meant for their relationship, noting that she wanted to serve as a support system for Dane despite the two no longer being a couple. Speaking on "Broad Ideas with Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen" in November 2025, she explained, "I am definitely trying to show [our kids] that we show up for people no matter what. He is our family. He is your father. And we show up and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it and that we will get through it the best we can." The actor added, "It's super complicated for me ... we've been separated for eight years," also suggesting she and Dane lived apart as their children lived with her full-time. The star had previously shared the refreshing truth about co-parenting shortly after her divorce filing in 2018, telling Us Weekly, "We're doing our best. It isn't easy. But we are trying and we are committed."

Despite their separation, Rebecca Gayheart remained there for her fellow actor Eric Dane amid his health struggles). A statement announcing Dane's untimely death confirmed the pair were together until the end, as it shared (via People), "[Dane] 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."

In late 2025, Gayheart told The Cut she would often cover the gaps in Dane's medical care when professional caregivers weren't available, as he needed 24/7 assistance toward the end of his life. "Eric and I are not a couple; we're family — and we're facing his ALS diagnosis, and what comes next, together," the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star inspiringly told the outlet, demonstrating how it's possible to be friends with your ex. She also got candid about the effect seeing their mom care so much for their dad, even though they were no longer romantically involved, had on their children. "Spending all this time together, it's all been really positive, and I think it's nice for the kids to see maybe a softer side of us," she wrote.