Rebecca Gayheart, the widow of Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane, returned to the spotlight with a starring role in a new stage musical, seven months after the actor's death from ALS.
Gayheart took the stage at Hollywood's Hudson Theatre for the opening night of Jawbreaker: The Musical. She was supported by her daughters with Dane, Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14, with the trio posing for photos together on the red carpet.
Dane and Gayheart separated in 2017 but remained friendly co-parents and never finalized their divorce. They called off the legal end of their marriage shortly before the actor revealed he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Dane died from the incurable nervous system disease in February at age 53.
From Screen to Stage
Gayheart starred in the original 1999 film Jawbreaker, a dark teen comedy that also featured Rose McGowan, Judy Greer, Pam Grier and Marilyn Manson. She played the popular high school girl Jules in the movie, but has switched roles for the stage show, stepping into the part of Assistant Principal Sherwood, originated onscreen by Carol Kane.
The book for the stage version is by the film's writer and director, Darren Stein, with choreography by Laganja Estranja, an alum of RuPaul's Drag Race.
Marriage and Health Struggles
Throughout her estranged husband's chronic health battle, Gayheart remained a constant source of support for Dane, who shot to fame as Dr Mark Sloan, known as "McSteamy," in the long-running ABC medical drama. Dane and Gayheart married in 2004, two years before he landed the role.
Gayheart stood by Dane through various personal problems, including a rehab stay in 2011 to wean himself off pain medication he had been taking for an injury. Six years later, in 2017, Dane entered treatment for depression, pausing filming on his action drama series The Last Ship.
The following year, Gayheart filed for divorce on grounds of irreconcilable differences, and the pair agreed on joint custody of their daughters, with Dane paying alimony.
Gayheart, who acted infrequently after having children, said a few months after filing for divorce that she wanted to start working again. She told Us Weekly that as a woman she believed she needed to always be able to take care of herself and never depend on a man, adding that she was going back to work partly because she wanted her daughters to see her work. She said she and Dane were doing their best to co-parent their children, acknowledging it was not easy but that they were trying and committed.
Support After Diagnosis
To help provide for his daughters after his death, Dane's friends set up a GoFundMe that quickly surpassed its initial goal of $250,000.
A source said Johnny Depp had also tried to ease the financial burden by allowing Dane to stay at one of his homes during his ALS battle. The source told Page Six that Dane was living essentially rent-free in one of the homes Depp owns above the Sunset Strip, and that Depp had told him to pay whatever he could, adding that Dane as a result had one less thing to worry about.
Dane's condition sharply declined after his diagnosis. He began using a wheelchair, lost the use of his right arm and pulled out of a public appearance the month before he died, citing the physical realities his illness had forced him to face.
A Final Message for His Daughters
Dane secretly recorded a final message for his daughters, released posthumously in a Netflix special titled Famous Last Words: Eric Dane.
Speaking directly to the camera, he said: "Billie and Georgia, these words are for you: I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn't we?"
Dane then shared four lessons he wanted to impart to his daughters. The first was to live in the present, which he admitted was hard but that he had learned to do after years of wandering off mentally, replaying decisions and second-guessing himself. He said he ultimately declared "no more," a change in mindset he called a decision made "out of pure survival."
Second, he urged them to fall in love, not necessarily with a person, but with a passion or a source of joy, something that makes them want to get up in the morning.
Third, he told them to choose their friends wisely, to find their people and give themselves to them without judgment or conditions. He thanked the friends who had "stepped up" when he became ill and urged his daughters to show up for their friends and hold on to them.
Finally, he told them to fight with every ounce of their being and with dignity when facing challenges. He said the disease was slowly taking his body but would never take his spirit, and urged them to face the unexpected with honesty, integrity and grace.
He concluded: "Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words."
