"Making sure they’re okay" - Rebecca Gayheart's biggest challenge after Eric Dane's death isn't her own grief

Eric Dane passed away in February 2026 due to ALS. The Grey's Anatomy actor was diagnosed with ALS in 2024 and went public with the diagnosis in April 2025. The late actor's memoir, “My Book of Days,” was released this week and was promoted by his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. One of the many interviews she appeared in was with the online entertainment portal, Extra.

One of the topics Gayheart discussed was her grief over losing Eric Dane and her priorities for now:

“I’m doing as well as I think a person could do with everything that’s going on. My priority is my girls, just making sure they’re okay… I’m just trying to go through this very difficult time with my eyes open and my heart open so I can learn and grow and feel it all and do it with as much grace as possible.”

Rebecca Gayheart opens up about parenting after Eric Dane

After describing her daughters, Billie (16) and Georgia (14), as a priority, Gayheart was asked how the children were doing. She told Extra that the kids are still navigating through grief:

“I guess they’re teenagers and I think that this is unthinkable for any person to lose a parent. I tell them all the time, ‘I’m here for you and I’m here to do whatever I can and to get you through.’ So, I’m just trying to keep them close and to do whatever I can to help them work through all of this. And, you know, like I said earlier, it’s not linear.”

Apart from the Extra interview, Rebecca Gayheart also discussed a turbulent period in her relationship with Eric Dane in the November 4, 2026, episode of The Drew Barrymore Show.

Rebecca Gayheart reveals the reason why she and Eric never proceeded with divorce

Rebecca Gayheart filed for divorce in February 2018, citing irreconcilable differences. But the couple never finalized their divorce, and the actress withdrew her divorce petition in March 2025. In The Drew Barrymore Show episode, she revealed why the couple never divorced; the reason, it seems, is the kids:

“The word "family" was everything and so that’s why I think divorce was really hard for me and I had such a hard time accepting the fact that I wasn’t gonna have this thing that I really wanted, and really had worked hard for and thought I had created. But I do believe that Billie and Georgie [Georgia's nickname] would sit here and if anyone asked them and say our family was kept intact.”

We are seeing more of the actor because she is promoting Dane's autobiography, My Book of Days, which finally hit bookshelves this week. The actor tragically succumbed to ALS on February 19, 2026. The actor discusses his career in detail, including a contentious exchange with Josh Duhamel.

But the most touching portion of the book is when the actor recounts life after the ALS diagnosis. The official synopsis of the book reads:

"In 2006, Eric Dane guest-starred on Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan, a moment that would change his life. What was intended to be a one-time guest appearance landed him a regular role on the Emmy-nominated show and would launch his acting career, leading to other roles in hit series like The Last Ship and Euphoria."

It continues:

"Years later, Dane experienced another life-changing moment: being diagnosed with ALS. The sudden diagnosis caused him to slow down and reflect on the moments that had shaped him. In My Book of Days, Dane shares these reflections and invites readers to do the same with their lives."

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We would like to express our sympathies for what Eric Dane's family is going through.

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