Rebecca Gayheart Withdraws Divorce and Supports Eric Dane Through ALS Battle at Los Angeles Home Before His Death

When Eric Dane married Rebecca Gayheart in 2004, they made the same promise most couples do — to stand by each other through good days and the devastating ones.

Even though the pair separated in 2017, that promise quietly resurfaced in the most profound way when Dane was diagnosed in late 2023 with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, widely known as ALS.

On Thursday, at 53, the actor best known for playing Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy passed away after battling the brutal neurodegenerative disease.

What surprised many wasn’t just the diagnosis.

It was what happened behind closed doors afterward.

When the Diagnosis Changed Everything

ALS is relentless. It strips away muscle control, gradually robbing patients of movement, speech, and eventually the ability to breathe independently. There is no cure.

According to sources close to the family, Dane began experiencing symptoms roughly a year before doctors delivered the life-altering news. At first, there was denial.

Small physical changes were brushed off. Fatigue had explanations. Weakness had excuses.

When the diagnosis was finally confirmed, it reportedly left both Dane and Gayheart stunned. They didn’t tell many people at first.

They hoped, like so many families do, that perhaps the experts were wrong.

They weren’t.

Rebecca Steps Back In

In March 2018, Gayheart had filed for divorce.

But just before Dane went public with his diagnosis in April last year, she withdrew it.

Friends say the decision wasn’t impulsive. It was rooted in something deeper than paperwork.

Though separated, they had maintained a bond — particularly for their daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.

Gayheart reportedly accompanied Dane to medical appointments, helped coordinate his care, and shielded their children from as much heartbreak as possible.

Watching a once-strong, charismatic leading man deteriorate physically was, insiders say, emotionally crushing. Still, she showed up.

Not out of obligation, but out of history, shared love, and motherhood.

A Complicated but Supportive Circle

At the same time, Gayheart had moved forward romantically with businessman Peter Morton, co-founder of the Hard Rock Café empire and heir to the Morton Steakhouse fortune.

Sources say the couple had discussed marriage before Dane’s illness escalated.

Those conversations paused once the diagnosis became public, but Morton reportedly remained supportive — not just of Gayheart, but of her daughters as well.

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It was an unusual arrangement, but those close to the situation insist it worked.

The priority was always the children.

The Financial and Physical Toll of ALS

ALS care is not only emotionally draining — it is extraordinarily expensive.

As the disease progressed, Dane required full-time assistance.

Wheelchairs, specialized equipment, medical specialists — much of it costly and not always covered by insurance.

Despite starring in multiple seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and appearing in Euphoria, insiders suggest Dane’s finances were strained in his final years.

With the disease preventing him from working, income slowed while medical costs surged.

In the months leading up to his death, Dane was reportedly staying in a Los Angeles property owned by Johnny Depp, a longtime friend.

The gesture, described as generous and quiet, helped ease financial pressure.

A Life Lived in Highs and Lows

Dane’s life wasn’t without turbulence.

In 2012, he was written out of Grey’s Anatomy amid struggles with addiction.

He had previously checked into rehab in 2011 for prescription painkiller dependency.

He later spoke openly about depression — about mornings when simply getting out of bed felt impossible.

At the time, his eldest daughter was just a toddler, and Gayheart was pregnant with their second child.

In a poignant interview on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer last year, Dane admitted he wasn’t ready to die.

He expressed anger that his daughters might lose him at a young age, just as he had lost his own father.

It was raw. It was honest. And it revealed a man fully aware of what was slipping away.

Saying Goodbye on His Own Terms

Those close to the family say that, toward the end, Dane found a quiet acceptance.

The physical decline was rapid, but he was able to say his goodbyes.

He told his daughters he loved them. He made peace with the inevitable.

For his loved ones, the grief is profound.

But there is also relief that he is no longer in pain.

What’s Next?

Funeral arrangements are expected to be private, with close family and friends in attendance.

Industry tributes are already pouring in from former co-stars and colleagues in Hollywood.

For Gayheart and her daughters, the coming months will be about healing and adjusting to life without the man who once dominated primetime television screens.

As for Dane’s legacy, it stretches beyond the nickname “McSteamy.”

He will be remembered as a talented actor, a complicated human being, and, above all, a father who fought hard for more time.

Summary

Eric Dane died at 53 after battling ALS, a diagnosis he received in late 2023.

Though separated from his wife Rebecca Gayheart since 2017, she withdrew her divorce filing and stood by him during his illness, supporting him through medical appointments and helping their two teenage daughters cope.

Financial strain and the intense demands of ALS care marked his final years, with support coming from close friends including Johnny Depp.

Dane, who previously battled addiction and depression, faced his final chapter with honesty and was able to say goodbye to his family before his passing.