Eric Dane’s Wife Rebecca Gayheart Calls His ALS Diagnosis “Heartbreaking”: “My Girls Are Really Suffering”

Rebecca Gayheart is opening up about how her family is coping with husband Eric Dane’s ALS diagnosis, describing the experience as both heartbreaking and uniting.

A Family in Pain

Rebecca Gayheart, best known for Beverly Hills, 90210 and Urban Legend, shared that she and the couple’s daughters, Billie (15) and Georgia (13), are struggling to adjust to Eric Dane’s ALS diagnosis.

“It’s heartbreaking. My girls are really suffering, and we’re just trying to get through it,” she told People. Gayheart explained that the family is taking things “day by day” and working with professional therapists while leaning on hope, dignity, grace, and love.

Eric Dane Confirms His Diagnosis

Eric Dane, the 52-year-old star of HBO’s Euphoria and TNT’s The Last Ship, confirmed earlier this year that he has been diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane shared in a statement to People. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter. I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week.”

Despite his health battle, Dane began filming for Euphoria Season 3 on April 14 and remains committed to his work.

A Complicated but Strong Relationship

Gayheart and Dane married in 2004. In 2018, she filed for divorce, but in March 2025 she officially moved to dismiss it. Despite their ups and downs, Gayheart insists their relationship is still a success.

“I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It was a huge success. We were together for 15 years, we had two beautiful kids, and Eric will always be my family,” she said.

She added that while the diagnosis has brought them closer, they wish it wasn’t under such painful circumstances.

Raising Awareness Through I AM ALS

After missing the 2025 Emmy Awards, Dane appeared in an Instagram video wearing a shirt that read “I AM ALS.” In the clip, he spoke candidly about his diagnosis, occasionally slurring his words and showing visible muscle twitches — a common symptom of the disease.

“I’m Eric. An actor, a father and now a person living with ALS,” he said. “For over a century, ALS has been incurable, and we’re done accepting the status quo. We need the fastest path to a cure, and that’s why I partnered with I AM ALS on the Push for Progress campaign. Our goal? A billion dollars over the next three years.”

The organization explained that ALS is a “brutal disease that affects all muscles in the body, including vocal and throat muscles.”

Despite the challenges, Dane remains hopeful:
“Together, we’ll renew the ACT for ALS, get promising treatments to patients like me, and finally push toward ending this disease.”

A Message of Strength and Unity

Though the journey is difficult, both Gayheart and Dane emphasize the importance of family, resilience, and advocacy. Gayheart says their daughters are at the center of everything, while Dane is determined to fight not only for himself but for others living with ALS.