Are Eric Dane & Rebecca Gayheart Still Together? She Reveals New Updates Amid His ALS Diagnosis
What To Know
- Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart separated in 2017, but the duo remain legally married.
- Following Dane’s ALS diagnosis, Gayheart dismissed her divorce petition and has been actively involved in his care.
- Dane and Gayheart co-parent two children.
While Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart may not be together in a romantic sense, Gayheart explains that she and the Grey’s Anatomy star will always share a “familial love.”
More than 20 years ago, Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart tied the knot in Las Vegas after less than one year of dating. They wed on October 29, 2004. “It’s probably one of the least interesting stories in the world,” Dane told Flaunt magazine in 2008. “It went basically like this: ‘You wanna go out?’ ‘Yeah, sure.’ Ten months later, we were married.”
While the couple separated in 2017, Gayheart has remained by Dane’s side throughout. In April 2025, the actor announced that he’d been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He revealed in June that he only has “one functioning arm,” sharing that his “right side has completely stopped working.” But where does he officially stand with Gayheart amid his health issues? Scroll down for updates.
Are Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane still together?
While Gayheart and Dane are still legally married, it’s clear that their relationship is more complicated than a piece of paper. Although she filed for divorce in 2018, she dismissed her petition in March 2025, just weeks before Dane confirmed his ALS diagnosis. However, Dane seemingly debuted another romantic relationship with Janell Shirtcliff in June 2025. The two walked the red carpet together at the Countdown premiere and Entertainment Tonight reported that they’ve been “in an on-and-off relationship for over three years and care deeply for each other.”
At the time of his separation from Gayheart, Dane said in a statement, “After 14 years together we have decided that ending our marriage is the best decision for our family. We will continue our friendship and work as a team to coparent 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.”
Even before Gayheart dismissed her divorce petition, she and Dane were still spotted together on family vacations and seemingly remained amicable. One month after the dismissal, and one day before Dane’s ALS diagnosis was made public, she gave an update on their status.
“We are best of friends,” Gayheart told E! “We are really close. We are great coparents. We really figured out the formula to staying a family, and I think our kids are benefiting greatly from it and we are as well.”
The actress continued, “I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success. We were married for … I mean, we are still married … but together for 15 years and we had two beautiful kids so I think that’s a successful relationship. That’s how we look at it.”
Dane shared a similar sentiment during an interview on Good Morning America on June 16. He said Gayheart is the first person he calls when he’s having a hard time with his ALS. “I talk to her every day,” the Grey’s Anatomy alum added. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents, and she is probably my biggest champion and most stalwart supporter. I lean on her.”
Why did Rebecca Gayheart dismiss her divorce from Eric Dane?
In a December 29 essay published by The Cut titled “In Sickness and in Health,” Gayheart revealed she has not only repeatedly appealed to their insurance company to get Dane 24/7 care, but she’s also personally taken shifts in his care to ensure that he is consistently looked after.
Addressing her decision to dismiss her divorce petition, Gayheart revealed, “We haven’t lived in the same home for eight years; he’s dated other people, I’ve dated someone. It’s a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people. Our love may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love. Eric knows that I am always going to want the best for him. That I’m going to do my best to do right by him. And I know he would do the same for me.”
Do Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart have kids?
Yes, they have two daughters: Billie was born in March 2010, followed by Georgia in December 2011.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
While they’ve both confirmed that they’ve gotten a handle on coparenting, that wasn’t always the case. “There’s a new normal for me and my family, and it’s taken us a little bit to get that down,” Gayheart admitted in 2019. “Not going to lie, it hasn’t been easy. But I think what’s exciting is what’s ahead because there are so many different things that could happen now. I mean, we have so many options, and the good news is my kids are happy and healthy.”
Amid Dane’s diagnosis, Gayheart explained, “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.”
Who is Eric Dane’s girlfriend?
Janell Shirtcliff is a director and photographer who made her directorial debut in 2021. She has also worked as a model. She has two children and was previously engaged to singer Sam Martin.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Before Shirtcliff and Dane made their red carpet debut, he was also linked to Priya Jain, with whom he was spotted multiple times in 2025. Page Six reported that the pair’s relationship became “exclusive” in November 2024, right before he received his ALS diagnosis.
She was reportedly “blindsided” when the actor took Shirtcliff to the Countdown premiere. They were last photographed together in May 2025.
