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Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart‘s marriage came with many ups and downs, but in the end, she stayed by his side in sickness and in health. The late Grey’s Anatomy alum, who died on February 19, 2026, at the age of 53, was married to his wife from 2004 until they announced their divorce in 2018. Nearly seven years later, Rebecca filed to withdraw her divorce petition from Eric to support him throughout his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) battle.
Hollywood Life breaks down Rebecca and Eric’s past divorce and reconciliation before he died.
Why Did Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart Get a Divorce?
In Rebecca’s 2018 divorce filing, she cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason behind their separation. The pair released a joint statement at the time about their split.
“After 14 years together, we have decided that ending our marriage is the best decision for our family,” they said at the time. “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. We kindly ask that you respect our privacy during this time as we navigate the next phase of our lives.”
Eric and Rebecca shared two daughters together: Billie and Georgia.
Did Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart Get Back Together?
Yes, Rebecca filed to withdraw her petition to divorce Eric in 2025 after he announced his ALS diagnosis. In her December 2025 essay with The Cut, the actress explained that she and the late Euphoria star’s “love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love.”
Why Did Rebecca Gayheart Withdraw Divorce From Eric Dane?
Rebecca filed to withdraw her petition to divorce Eric in March 2025, weeks before he announced his ALS battle. She opened up about her decision in her essay with The Cut later that year, revealing that she’d take over for Eric’s “24/7 nurses” during “times that shifts aren’t covered.”
“Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him,” the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum wrote. “That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me. … So, whatever I can do or however I can show up to make this journey better for him or easier for him, I want to do that. And I want to model that for my girls: ‘That’s what you do. That’s the right thing to do.”
Citing their children as the primary reason behind their reconciliation, Rebecca added, “I think it’s nice for the kids to see maybe a softer side of us. It’s not that they have the hopes of us being together [romantically] … because they understand the reality of the situation. And hopefully, what they see instead are two adults who are trying to be mature and focus on what’s important.”
Ultimately, Rebecca’s goal was to “take advantage of the time that [Dane] has right now” since “he made it very clear that he wants to spend time with his family as much as possible” during his final months.
