Eric Dane, the brooding heartthrob from Grey’s Anatomy, is now under round-the-clock nursing care after his ALS diagnosis rocked his world earlier this year. His estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart, has stepped up big time, battling insurance giants to make it happen and even covering shifts herself. Here’s the full scoop on his care setup, her support, and who she really is.
Who Is Rebecca Gayheart?
Rebecca Gayheart, born August 12, 1971, kicked off as a teen model in the 1980s before exploding as the fresh-faced “Noxzema Girl” in those iconic skin cream ads. She transitioned to acting with roles like the obsessive Hannah Mayberry on soap Loving, then hit primetime as Luke Perry’s ill-fated bride on Beverly Hills, 90210. Readers should know her as a resilient actress and mom—divorce papers filed in 2018 got pulled in March amid Dane’s health crisis, keeping their family intact for daughters Billie and Georgia.
Eric Dane’s ALS Journey So Far
Dane, 53, went public with his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis in April 2025, a brutal neurodegenerative disease with no cure that hits motor neurons, wrecking movement, speech, and breathing over time. Symptoms kicked in about 18 months prior with right-hand weakness; by June, that arm was fully out, and he’s eyeing “ALS-centric” acting gigs like his Brilliant Minds firefighter role despite mobility limits. He’s “resilient and hopeful,” banking on top doc Merit Cudkowicz and global research buzz, including AI advances.
24/7 Lifeline Secured
Fast-forward to late December 2025: Eric Dane now has full-time nurses around the clock, a setup Gayheart fought tooth-and-nail with insurers to approve. She jumps in personally when gaps pop up, prioritizing his daily needs as ALS ramps up. The family leans on therapy to cope, taking it “one day at a time” amid setbacks like his Emmys absence after a fall.
How Rebecca Gayheart Is Holding It Down
Despite the 2018 split, Gayheart calls Dane her “biggest champion” in reverse—she’s his rock, talking daily and co-parenting fiercely through the chaos. In a raw The Cut essay, she spilled on the care logistics and emotional grind, ditching divorce to focus on their girls’ stability. No fairy-tale reunion, just real-deal support as Dane pushes ALS awareness with I Am ALS
