Eric Dane last interview: ‘We still love each other'

In a moving final interview released just a day after his death, Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane opened up about the enduring bond he shared with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. 

The actor, who passed away on 19 February at the age of 53 following a battle with ALS, sat down for Netflix’s Famous Last Words to reflect on a life defined by one great love. 

Speaking to Brad Falchuk in the episode that aired on 20 February, Dane was candid about the unique nature of his relationship with Gayheart, from whom he separated in 2017 after 15 years.

“Well we still love each other deeply, I just don’t think we want to live with each other,” Dane quipped during the conversation. 

He went on to make a heartbreakingly honest confession about his feelings for the mother of his two daughters, 15-year-old Billie and 14-year-old Georgia. 

“There’s a lot of love there. I will never, by the time anybody sees this, would have ever fallen in love with another woman as deeply as I fell in love with Rebecca,” he said. 

Describing her simply as “the mother of my children,” he noted how natural and fated their connection felt.

Dane also looked back at the very beginning of their romance, recalling how he experienced love at first sight when he met the Beverly Hills 90210 actress in 2003. 

Despite her being in a long-term relationship at the time, he remembered telling a friend, “I’m going to marry that girl.” True to his word, they wed a year later. 

However, when discussing their eventual split in 2017, Dane took full responsibility for the breakdown of the marriage. 

He admitted that he struggled to put in the necessary work compared to Gayheart, whom he described as a "fighter" who "perseveres." 

He used a metaphor to explain his mindset at the time, suggesting that while his wife wanted to fix the problems in their relationship, his instinct was often to abandon a sinking ship rather than try to patch it up.

Despite their romantic separation, the family remained remarkably tight-knit. 

As Dane’s health declined due to ALS, Gayheart filed to dismiss their divorce in March 2025, choosing to stay legally married as they navigated his final chapter together. 

She previously told E! News that they had discovered a successful formula for staying a family, regardless of their romantic status. 

She refused to see the end of their marriage as a failure, instead viewing their 15 years and two children as a huge success.

Dane’s final words serve as a testament to that perspective, proving that while they couldn't live under the same roof, the love between them remained the anchor of his life.