Eric Dane's wife Rebecca Gayheart had withdrawn divorce filing following actor's ALS diagnosis

American actor Eric Dane has passed away on February 19, 2026 at 53, following a tideous battle with ALS. He is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart and their two daughters, Billie and Georgia.

Married in 2004, Rebecca had filed for divorce from Eric in 2018, after 13 years of marriage. The two were separated until March, 2025 when Rebecca withdrew her divorce filing after her husband was diagnosed with ALS.

Rebecca Gayheart wanted to set an example for her daughters

Rebecca Gayheart's decision to with the divorce, was to show her two daughters how important it is to "show up" for one's family, especially during moments of crises.

In April, 2025, Eric Dane shared his ALS diagnosis with the world. A few months later, in November, Rebecca appeared on the Broad Ideas podcast and shed light on her decision to rethink the divorce.

The 54-year-old actor said, "We tell them, 'We show up for people no matter what. He is our family. He is your father'."

The actor had also revealed that she and Eric had not been living under the same roof for the last eight years. Their complicated relationship dynamic made her decision to take back her divorce filing all the more difficult, because she did not whether this was the right approach to take.

"I’m just showing up and trying to be there for [my kids]. I guess time will tell", she had said.

During their separation, both Rebecca and Eric have dated other people. Rebecca was rumoured to be dating billionaire Peter Morton while Eric was with filmmaker Janell Shirtcliff and the two were even seen together on red carpets. Despite it all, the two got together often for family events.

Rebecca had shared in an essay, "This year, the girls and I have spent a lot of time at Eric’s house, which is about a 12-minute drive away from our home. We have a lot of meals together. We do a lot of drop-by visits — well, I don’t just drop by. I always call and say, 'I'm coming up the hill' or ‘'I'm dropping Georgia off'."

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