Eric Dane's battle with ALS has been heartbreaking. Amid that, another heartbreaking update was shared by his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart.
We all remember 'McSteamy' from Grey's Anatomy, and we have loved his evolution from 'everyone's Mark Sloan' to a best friend, amazing surgeon, and a doting father. His exit from the show had to be the cruellest in the history of the show. However, the fan base he built then has followed him off-screen. So, when he shared about his battle with ALS, the fans were left heartbroken, and it seems that their pain was just toned up as the actor's estranged wife, Rebbeca Gayheart, has another heartbreaking update for the fans.
Eric Dane has tried to stay as active as possible despite his diagnosis with ALS. However, now his battle has turned into a daily fight, surrounded by family, friends, and the care he needs to make each moment count. The much-loved actor is facing a chapter of life no one ever expects, one that has quietly reshaped his days and routines. Earlier in 2025, Eric made the heartbreaking revelation about his demise.
However, as the condition progressed, his mobility became limited, and daily life began to require constant medical support to ensure his safety and comfort. Now, after months of fighting the system, repeated insurance denials, and refusing to accept answers that left Eric Dane without the support he needed, his estranged wife, Rebecca, has shared an update. She wrote a deeply personal essay for The Cut, in which she spoke about her role as a caregiver.
While Rebecca Gayheart has previously asserted that her relationship with Eric is 'super complicated,' she refuses to give up and is there for him as much as possible. Even when she can only manage part of a shift, friends step in to help. Many people are showing their support for Eric during this difficult time. She revealed:
"The week is divided into 21 shifts. There are times that shifts aren’t covered, so I cover them. There was a 12-hour shift recently that I could not cover. I could only do four hours because of all the stuff that the kids are doing."
In the same essay, she revealed how she had to reach out to two of Eric Dane's friends for help. Rebecca recalled asking people who had never cared for him like that before for help. There are a lot of people who used to be more present in my life who I think about and wonder, 'Where'd they go?' She shared that she's "talked to my therapist about it a lot," and realized that "most people are not great in this situation because it's so heavy. Rebecca was quoted as saying:
"I had to call on two of Eric's friends, one of them who had never really taken care of him in that way. I thought, 'I can't believe I had to ask someone to do this.' And of course, when I asked for help, they said, 'Yeah, anything, what do you need? What's going on?' And they both showed up and did a wonderful job."
According to a report by The Daily Mail, Eric Dane remains focused on positivity despite the challenges he has faced. The actor has two daughters, Billie and Georgia, who are 15 and 13 years old, respectively. The source told the publication that Eric wants to live life for as long as he can and doesn't want people to grieve him while he is still trying to fight the condition.
ALS, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, physical dysfunction, and eventually respiratory failure. Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease, ALS leads to the breakdown of nerve cells that control voluntary muscles, resulting in the inability to move, speak, or swallow as the disease progresses. There is currently no cure for the disease. However, there are treatments to manage symptoms and improve the quality of life.
What are your thoughts on Rebbeca Gayheart's update on Eric Dane?
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