Rebecca Gayheart Says Family Shocked by Eric Dane’s Death

Rebecca Gayheart has revealed that her family is “in a state of shock” following the death of her husband Eric Dane at the age of 53 following a battle with ALS.

“I want to thank everyone for being so kind to us over the last few years,” Gayheart, 54, said. Variety in a statement published on Wednesday, March 11. “It’s been challenging and meaningful, and people are kind.”

I Once upon a time in Hollywood the actress and Dane had two daughters, Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14. The couple separated in 2018 but later called off their divorce. (Dane was in love Janell Shirtcliff when he died when Gayheart was linked to billionaires Peter Morton in recent years.)

“I’m having trouble getting all the support and love that comes to me in every way because of Eric and [entertainment] a community that is generous with their time,” she said, “They’ve been holding me and the girls for the past two weeks, and I don’t think they’re going anywhere. I think they are in it for the long haul. Hollywood gets a bad rap. That kind of annoys me, because we have a good community of people, and I’m very grateful to them.”

Gayheart spoke out because of her late husband’s partnership with ElevenLabs in the last months of his life. The tech company has pledged to offer its AI voice restoration software to the 1 million people – including Dane – who have lost the ability to speak due to a chronic diagnosis.

Per Gayheart, Dane’s relationship with ElevenLabs was “kind of an emergency” because he began to lose the ability to speak as his ALS progressed. The actress and actor confirmed that Dane and their daughters were able to hear her recorded voice before her death in February.

“[Our daughters] they were like, ‘That’s not a recording. That’s your word. That’s you,'” Gayheart recalled. He just had a way of speaking, and they captured it so well.”

He continued, “[Our daughters] we signed it, and we were very happy to have it because we knew what was going down. We were all struggling with the loss of voice that he was already dealing with. Knowing that we have that in our back pocket, it just feels really good. I’m sad, and I know Eric is too, that we never really used it. But what I do know is that he would like as many people as possible to have access.”

Dane’s family announced on February 19, 2026 that he is the first Grey’s Anatomy The star died just one year after going public with her ALS diagnosis.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Eric Dane passed away on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” his family said. Us Weekly. “He spent his last days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.” Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference to others facing the same battle.”

Their statement concluded, “He will be greatly missed, and always remembered fondly. Eric loved his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he has received. The family has requested privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”

Gayheart broke her silence after Dane’s death by sharing several throwback photos on Instagram and supporting a GoFundMe campaign aimed at supporting their children.