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Actress Supports Husband Eric Dane Through Heartbreaking ALS Diagnosis
17 Nov
Summary
- Rebecca Gayheart opens up about supporting Eric Dane and their daughters amid his ALS diagnosis
- Gayheart says they are trying to get through this difficult time with "dignity and grace"
- Dane had a scary moment when he couldn't swim back to the boat while with his daughter
In November 2025, actress Rebecca Gayheart is opening up about how she and her two daughters are supporting her estranged husband, Eric Dane, amid his ALS diagnosis. Gayheart, 54, revealed on the Broad Ideas podcast that she has been telling her daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, that "we show up for people no matter what" as Dane's condition progresses.
Gayheart explained that the girls are currently living with her "100%" after she and Dane separated eight years ago. "We've been separated for eight years. The kids live with me 100 percent of the time," she said. "I try to stay optimistic, though, about it all. I'm trying to learn from it and [be a] role model for them [in] how to go through something like this, which is really hard."
Dane, 53, revealed his ALS diagnosis to PEOPLE in April 2025. In a June interview with Diane Sawyer, he shared a scary moment when he was in the water with one of his daughters and couldn't swim back to the boat, requiring his daughter to rescue him. "When I jumped in the ocean that day and realized I couldn't swim [or] generate enough power to get myself back to the boat, I thought, 'Oh, God,'" Dane recalled. "And then I realized in that moment I'm not safe in the water anymore."
Gayheart said her family is working with therapists to get through this difficult time with "dignity, grace and love." She acknowledged that it's "heartbreaking" and that her girls are "really suffering," but they are trying to have hope.
