When someone dies, what remains are not just photographs or film credits, but sentences, the quiet, intimate words once spoken in kitchens, on long drives, or in hospital rooms. For celebrities, those words are often recorded, replayed, and preserved for the world. In the case of Eric Dane, his final reflections were shared in Netflix’s Famous Last Words: Eric Dane, where he spoke with candor about his wife and children. 

His mention of her in the documentary cast a gentle spotlight on the woman who stood beside him through triumph, separation, illness, and ultimately, his last breath. 

Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart first met in 2003. Like Dane, Gayheart is an actor. She got her big break on the daytime drama Loving in 1992 and later played Luke Perry’s girlfriend (and eventual bride) on Beverly Hills, 90210. She also appeared on the TV shows Nip/Tuck and Vanished, and movies like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Scream 2, Jawbreaker and Harvard Man.

Before his demise at the age of 53 on February 19, Dane spent his final days with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters, Billie and Georgia. The actor was suffering from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, which he had been diagnosed with in April 2025. This progressive nervous system disease affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and it eventually took his life within one year of diagnosis. 

In his Netflix special, Dane described how he was enchanted when he first met her. 

“I met Rebecca and I turned to her friend and I said, ‘I’m going to marry that girl,’” he recalled. In his final months, their bond had shifted from romance to enduring friendship, a testament to how love can transform rather than disappear.

Understanding who she is inevitably led to understanding what they endured. Their love story did not follow a straight line; it evolved, fractured, and redefined itself.

Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart have been separated for years, but they are not legally divorced. Gayheart filed for divorce in February 2018, citing irreconcilable differences, after nearly 14 years of marriage. According to reporting by E! News, the filing initiated formal proceedings, yet the case was never finalized in court. As a result, despite their long-standing separation, they have remained legally married. At the time, they said in a joint statement: 

“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.”

In March 2025, Gayheart formally dismissed her divorce petition, effectively closing the case without a dissolution of marriage. The decision came just one month before Dane publicly disclosed on April 10 that he had been diagnosed with ALS. One day before his diagnosis became public, Gayheart told E! News that she and Dane were “best friends,” describing their relationship as close and stable, particularly in their roles as co-parents. Legally, their marital status remains intact.

In short, Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane weathered a public separation and a filed divorce that was never finalized, ultimately remaining legally married. What began as a conventional Hollywood split has evolved into a long-term partnership centered on friendship, co-parenting, and mutual support, till death.

Eric Dane's Cause of Death: What Led the Beloved 'Euphoria' Actor to His Final Moments

What do you think about their journey? Share your thoughts below.