Why Eric Dane’s Wife, Rebecca Gayheart, Withdrew Divorce Filing After His ALS Diagnosis

Eric Dane and his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, were on the brink of divorce…until his ALS diagnosis. The Grey’s Anatomy star died at the age of 53 on Feb. 20 after a 10 month battle with the disease.

At the time of his diagnosis, the longtime couple were estranged, with divorce papers filed. But Gayheart withdrew the divorce petition upon learning of her husband’s diagnosis as a way to show their two daughters what it means to be united as a family in difficult times.

The actress explained her decision on the Broad Ideas podcast last fall, saying that by calling off their divorce, she hoped to teach their daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, to be there for their family even “when times are at their worst.” She explained: “We tell them, ‘We show up for people no matter what. He is our family. He is your father,’” Gayheart shared.

Gayheart also said that throughout Dane’s diagnosis and navigating their new normal, her main focus was on their daughters’ well-being and that they felt “taken care of” even though “things are hard and sad and bad.”

The couple wed in 2004. Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018. They called off their divorce after seven years of separation.

In the same interview, Gayheart explained their relationship was “super complicated,” adding that she had mixed feelings about whether she was doing the right thing by calling off the divorce, but that it ultimately felt best. “I’m just showing up and trying to be there for [my kids]. I guess time will tell,” she said. She also explained that her and Dane’s “love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love.” They two were still not living together throughout his ALS battle, and they even had relationships with other people during their separation.

Still, when Dane needed to be around family, she made sure they showed up. “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,” she wrote in an essay, per Page Six. “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.’”