Rebecca Gayheart withdrew her divorce papers from Eric Dane after he was diagnosed with ALS, saying she wanted to teach her children to “show up for their families.”
The actress explained her decision on the Broad Ideas podcast last November, saying that by calling off the divorce, she wanted to teach her daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, to be there for their family “even in the worst of times.”
“We tell them, ‘We’ll show up for people no matter what. He’s our family. He’s your father,'” Gayheart said.
The mother-of-two also said that during Dane’s diagnosis and as they navigated their relationship, her main focus was on the girls’ well-being and that they felt “valued” despite “things being hard and sad and bad”.
The former couple married in 2004, and the “Jawbreaker” star filed for divorce in 2018 after 13 years of marriage.
In March last year, the two ended their divorce after seven years of separation. A month later, the “Grey’s Anatomy” star announced his ALS diagnosis.
During an interview in November, Gayheart, 54, also detailed their “very complicated” dynamic and admitted that she was unsure whether she had handled the situation “the wrong way or the right way” by withdrawing her application.
“I’m just trying to show up and be there for (my kids). I think time will tell,” she said.
In a vulnerable essay for The Cut published last December, Gayheart said her and Dane’s love “may not be romantic, but it’s a familial love.”
She also revealed that the two “haven’t lived in the same house for eight years.”
Ms Gayheart said both had had romantic relationships with other people. She is in a relationship with billionaire Peter Morton, who dated film director Janelle Shirtcliffe in June last year. However, they say they meet regularly at family gatherings.
“This year, my daughters and I spent a lot of time at Eric’s house, which is about a 12-minute drive from our house,” the essay continued. “We eat together a lot. We stop by a lot. We don’t just stop by. We always call and say, “I’m going up the hill,” or “I’m dropping Georgia off.”
Dane passed away on Thursday, 10 months after announcing his ALS diagnosis. He was 53 years old.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Eric Dane passed away on Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS,” Dane’s family said in a statement to People magazine.
“Eric’s journey with ALS has made him a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle,” the statement continued. “He will be greatly missed and will always be remembered with fondness.”
