Eric Dane shared touching words about wife Rebecca Gayheart in final interview before his death

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In his Netflix special, Famous Last Words, Eric Dane shared heartfelt praise for his wife, Rebecca Gayheart.

The actor died on Thursday at age 53 after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In a final, two-part interview, he stated that his love for Rebecca Gayheart, 54, was the deepest he would ever feel for another woman.

Okay, so this is a really interesting story. I’ve been following it for a while, and it’s quite a rollercoaster. This couple actually said ‘I do’ back in October of 2004, but things became strained and they separated in September 2017. Everyone was surprised when they started divorce proceedings, but even more surprised when they called it all off in March 2025. It was a huge shock to everyone, especially considering just one month later, Dane publicly shared his heartbreaking diagnosis of ALS. It really puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?

They shared daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.

In a December 2025 essay for The Cut, Gayheart explained that her feelings for Dane had evolved from romantic love to a close, family-like bond.

Dane secretly filmed the two-part special, with Brad Falchuk among its executive producers.

The former Grey’s Anatomy actor also mentioned that his wife, Rebecca, was more proactive and engaged in their shared responsibilities than he was.

Let me tell you, I’ve never been one to stubbornly push through when things are clearly falling apart. I’m a firm believer in knowing when to cut your losses. If something isn’t working – if there’s a fundamental flaw, a ‘hole in the boat’ as I like to say – I don’t waste time trying to fix it. My philosophy is simple: abandon ship and find a new venture. It’s about being practical and focusing your energy on what will work, not what could work.

The dad, who has two children, also talked about missing out on time with them after he and Gayheart split up.

It’s just… living so far apart meant we missed out on so much time together, and it killed me. But honestly, I made it my mission to be there whenever I possibly could, especially for the big moments. I wouldn’t miss those for the world!

And he insisted that he and his estranged wife were ‘still really best friends.’

He explained that despite still loving each other very much, they simply didn’t want to continue living together, stressing that their feelings remained strong.

As a lifestyle expert, I often talk about building a fulfilling life, and that includes relationships. Looking back on my marriage, I can say we truly had something special for a long time – fifteen wonderful years, in fact. And from that union, we were blessed with two beautiful daughters. It’s a chapter of my life I cherish, filled with love and family.

Let’s be real, my relationship went through a really rough patch. We definitely hit some major challenges and ended up separating. We even started the divorce process, but ultimately decided against it. It’s been about eight years since we lived together, and during that time, we’ve both explored other relationships. It’s been a complicated journey, but we’re navigating it the best way we can.

‘It’s a very complicated relationship, one that’s confusing for people,’ she acknowledged.

After Dane’s passing, Falchuk shared with Extra the story of how he ended up on the Netflix show, Famous Last Words.

I was so excited when we contacted him about being on the show! Like we do with everyone, we asked for a casual chat first. It’s just a friendly sit-down where we talk about the show and see if we connect with them – if there’s a good vibe, you know?

Oh my gosh, I actually had dinner with Eric at his house! It was incredible. We just… clicked. Like, instantly. It felt like we really understood each other, and it happened so fast, it was amazing!

The streamer debuted the episodes on Friday.

Falchuk described him as genuinely open, approachable, humorous, and likeable. They had a wonderful dinner and continued talking before quickly starting to work together a few weeks later.

Honestly, it’s just… everything about him was so inspiring. The producer – Chris Martin’s husband, you know? – was talking about it, and he said what really stuck with him was just how amazing his spirit was. It wasn’t just about fighting, it was how he accepted things, even when he was clearly struggling. He refused to let anyone feel sorry for him, and he faced everything head-on, even while it was happening. It was this incredible defiance, but also acceptance. It just… got to me, you know?

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2026-02-22 19:53