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The two women closest to Eric Dane at the time of his death have each shared new and beautiful tributes to the actor.
As previously reported, Dane passed away this week at the age of 53 due to complications from ALS. He was surrounded at the time by his daughters, friends and other loved ones.
Among that group, according to reports, was Rebecca Gayheart… the mother of Dane’s two kids and his estranged wife — to whom Dane remained extremely close.
On Saturday, the actress shared multiple throwback family photos with Dane and their two daughters via her Instagram Stories … in addition to a link endorsing a GoFundMe campaign meant to financially support their kids in the wake of the actor’s tragic death.
“Thank you to everyone,” Gayheart wrote alongside a screenshot of the fundraiser, marking the first time she’s addressed the public on her own since losing Dane.
Two days earlier, Dane’s family released the following statement:
“With heavy hearts, we share that Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS.
“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world. Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight.”
Shortly after Dane passed away, his former co-stars and good friends posted message of sympathy and support online.
HBO also shared a statement mourning the actor, who starred as Cal Jacobs on Euphoria.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Eric Dane’s passing,” a spokesperson said. “He was incredibly talented and HBO was fortunate to have worked with him on three seasons of Euphoria. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”
Relatedly, Janell Shirtcliff broke her silence late last week on the tragedy.
In a series of Instagram Story posts, Dane’s long-time girlfriend highlighted candid moments she shared with the star, including a black-and-white snapshot of the late actor smiling while getting a tattoo on his left arm.
And also an image of him posing in a white T-shirt and tan cowboy hat next to a horse.
A professional photographer, Shirtcliff also posted a handful of sweet moments with Dane, such as one where he’s planting a kiss on the side of her head as they stood near a set of stairs; and a selfie of him leaning down towards her shoulder.
Take a look here for yourself:
The couple appeared to debt their romance in June, two months after Dane shared his ALS diagnosis.
The pair arrived together at the Los Angeles premiere of his Prime Video crime drama Countdown, sharing a laugh as they walked hand-in-hand down the red carpet.
Gayheart, meanwhile, shared two daughters with Dane. The two got married in 2004 and then separated in 2018, although Gayheart eventually withdrew her divorce petition in 2025.
Later that year, she opened up about Dane’s diagnosis in an article for New York Magazine‘s The Cut.
“His symptoms started maybe a year prior. When we would have a meal with the kids, he’d say things like, ‘Something’s wrong with my hand.’ He was struggling to use his chopsticks, dropping his food. That was when he started seeing doctors,” Gayheart said in December, adding:
“No matter how prepared you are, or how much I prepare the girls, or how much Eric prepares himself, he’ll wake up one morning and there’s something else that is an obstacle, or he’s lost the ability to do one more thing — it just comes out of nowhere. It’s a terrible, terrible disease.”
Eric Dane’s final words to his children were beautiful. May he rest in peace.
Eric Dane’s Girlfriend, Ex-Wife Pay Tribute to Late Actor was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
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