Rebecca Gayheart has spoken publicly for the first time since the death of her husband, actor Eric Dane, thanking supporters for what she described as an overwhelming response in the days following his passing.
On Feb. 22, Gayheart, 54, shared a message on her Instagram Stories alongside an image of a candlelit memorial. “I’m so blown away by the outpouring of love and support from our community,” she wrote, as reported by People. “There aren’t words to express our gratitude. You are truly holding us up during this difficult time.”
Her message came shortly after the release of one of Dane’s final recorded interviews, filmed for Netflix’s “Famous Last Words” series. In the interview, published after his death, Dane reflected on his enduring bond with Gayheart, whom he married in 2004 and separated from in 2018.
“We still love each other deeply,” Dane said. “I just think we don’t want to live with each other. But there’s a lot of love there.” He added: “I will have never, by the time anybody sees this, have fallen in love with another woman as deeply as I fell in love with Rebecca. She’s the mother of my children.”
The actor recalled meeting Gayheart in what he described as an “organic and fortuitous” encounter, saying he knew early on that he would marry her.
Dane died on Feb. 19 at age 53, according to a statement from his family, “following a courageous battle with ALS.” He had publicly disclosed his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis in April 2025.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects motor neurons controlling voluntary muscle movement and breathing.
In a June 2025 interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,” Dane told Diane Sawyer he was willing to pursue any treatment option. “I will fly to Germany and eat the head off a rattlesnake if [doctors] told me that that would help,” he said. He also expressed hope at the time, saying, “I don’t think this is the end of my story.”
Gayheart discussed her role supporting Dane during his illness in a November appearance on the “Broad Ideas” podcast, saying she encouraged their daughters to “show up for people no matter what.”
“He is our family. He is your father,” she recalled telling her daughters. “We show up, and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it.”
Born in San Francisco, Dane began his career with guest roles on television series including “Saved by the Bell” and “The Wonder Years.” He gained wider recognition on “Charmed” before achieving mainstream fame as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy.”
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