Rebecca Gayheart has spoken about her current relationship with her estranged husband, Eric Dane, months after he revealed his ALS diagnosis.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of the Broad Ideas podcast, the actor said she has continued to support the Grey’s Anatomy alum — who announced in April he was diagnosed with the incurable condition that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and causes increasing muscle paralysis over time — to be a role model for their two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13.
“[I tell them], ‘No matter what, he is our family and he is your father,’” Gayheart said. “We show up, and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it the best we can.”
“It’s super complicated for me. We’ve been separated for eight years,” she added, referring to her decision to file for divorce in 2018 before filing for the petition to be dismissed in March. “The kids live with me 100 percent of the time. There’s been a lot of other stuff. I’m trying to stay optimistic, though, about it all.”
Despite not knowing if she is handling the situation the “wrong way or the right way,” Gayheart explained she is doing her best to be there for her daughters and help them spend as much time with their father as possible.
“I just want to make sure I provide them with the opportunity to spend time with him, so they don’t ever look back [and wish they did more],” she said.
“I really want to make sure to help facilitate that stuff for them, which is what I’m doing. I don’t know what their takeaway will be. I know it’s super complicated right now for so many reasons.”
Opening up about his health in an article with People in April, Dane said that despite his diagnosis, he would still be starring in season three of HBO’s Euphoria, where he plays Cal Jacobs.
“I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” he told the publication. “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to [the] set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Dane has continued to work on new projects following his diagnosis, including a recently announced guest-starring role. He is slated to appear on the NBC show Brilliant Minds, airing November 24. Dane will play Matthew, a firefighter struggling to share his ALS diagnosis with his family.
Matthew will process the news with the help of Dr. Oliver Wolf, the series’s lead, played by Zachary Quinto.
