James Van Der Beek's Wife Reflects on Friendship With Eric Dane

Opening Up About His Private Health Battle 

Eric Dane shared that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in April 2025.

"I have been diagnosed with ALS,” Dane told People at the time. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”

Returning to Set

The Euphoria star made it clear that he wasn’t stepping away from the screen amid his diagnosis, sharing in April 2025 that he was continuing to film the final season of the HBO series.

And Dane, whose Amazon MGM Studios series Countdown debuted over the summer, admitted that acting has kept him “sharp” has he navigates his health battle.

"I feel great when I'm at work," he explained to E! News in June 2025. "Of course, there have been some sort of setbacks, but I feel pretty good. My spirit is always pretty buoyant, so at the end of the day, that's all that matters."

Detailing His First Symptoms 

Two months after sharing his diagnosis, the Grey’s Anatomy alum spoke candidly about his journey, including the symptoms that led to his diagnosis.  

"I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand," Dane told Diane Sawyer in a sit-down on Good Morning America in June 2025. "I didn’t really think anything of it at the time. I thought maybe I’d been texting too much or my hand was fatigued, but a few weeks later I noticed it got a little worse."

After nine months of appointments, which involved visiting two hand specialists and two neurologists, Dane was told he had ALS. 

"I will never forget those three letters," the father of two explained. "It's on me the second I wake up. It's not a dream."

“Sobering" Road Ahead

While sharing how the rare degenerative disease has affected him physically so far, he also detailed where he sees the progression headed. 

“My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working," Dane shared during his interview with Sawyer. "I feel like maybe a couple more months, and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering." 

A Close-Knit Support System

As Dane goes through this health battle, his wife of over 20 years, Rebecca Gayheart, who filed to dismiss their 2018 divorce in March, has been by his side.

“I call Rebecca. I talk to her every day,” Dane shared during his interview with Sawyer. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents, and she is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her."

According to Gayheart, she and Dane are the “best of friends.”

“We are really close. We are great co-parents,” the Beverly Hills, 90210 star explained to E! News April 9, 2025. “We really figured out the formula to staying a family and I think our kids are benefiting greatly from it and we are as well.”

Prioritizing Family Time

While Dane has been marking milestones with his and Gayheart’s daughters Billie and Georgia, he’s admitted he resents how his ALS is affecting the lives of his family members.

"I'm angry, because my father was taken from me when I was young," the actor, whose father died by suicide when he was a young boy, said during his GMA interview. "And now there's a very good chance I'm going to be taken from my girls while they're very young. At the end of the day, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit, if I can."

Emmys Absence

Dane was set to present at the 2025 Emmys alongside his Grey's Anatomy costar Jesse Williams on Sept. 14 but ended up missing the award show. A few weeks after his absence, Dane shared that he had to skip the show because of a hospital visit.

“ALS is a nasty disease," he said during an interview with The Washington Post published on Oct. 2. "So I was in the hospital during the Emmys getting stitches put in my head." 

"I was a really upset about it,” Dane added. “But you know, there was nothing I could do about it."

His Hopes for the Future

Dane met with doctors and representatives from the I Am ALS organization in September, 2025, and spoke with California congressman Eric Swalwell about federal funding towards research for the currently incurable neurological disease.  

“I wanna ring every bell,” Dane told Swalwell in a TikTok video posted by the politician on Sept. 29. “I have two daughters at home. I wanna see them graduate college, get married, maybe have grandkids.”

His Tragic Passing 

Dane died on Feb. 19 at age 53 following his yearlong battle with ALS. His family confirmed in a statement to E! that he "spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters."

“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,” his family's statement continued. “He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”