Eric Dane's Widow Reveals Emotional Final Moments With Late 'Grey's Anatomy' Star

Rebecca Gayheart is opening up about the final weeks of Eric Dane’s life, highlighting one especially emotional moment they shared.

The late actor’s widow, 54, recently spoke with Variety about a project Dane had been working on shortly before he died on Feb. 19 at age 53, nearly a year after revealing his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.

Dane Was Working to Bring Back His Voice

During her interview, Gayheart revealed that the Grey’s Anatomy star teamed up with artificial intelligence company ElevenLabs to help bring back something he was slowly losing: his voice.

She explained that Dane “was really excited about it, because he was losing his voice, and it was becoming more difficult for him to communicate each and every day. So it became sort of urgent.”

The technology, part of ElevenLabs’ accessibility initiative, uses recordings from a person’s past to generate a synthetic version of their voice. As the company explains on its website, “The ElevenLabs Impact Program provides free licenses to individuals with accessibility needs and nonprofit organizations across healthcare, education and culture.” The voice restoration feature allows people facing conditions like ALS to continue speaking with a voice that sounds like their own.

Near the end of his life, Gayheart said she and Dane finally got to hear the recreated voice together—and the moment hit everyone in the room hard.

“He was waiting anxiously to hear it, and when we got it from ElevenLabs it was a really big moment. It was a powerful moment,” she recalled. “We played it, and Eric became visibly emotional. And when I heard it, I cried. I think everyone in the room did.”

Eric Dane's Ultimate Mission

Gayheart said Dane was passionate about helping others facing the same illness and hoped the technology could make a real difference.

“He wanted to advocate for love and for the movement [around ALS] and so I’m there to do this for him,” she added. “For a million people to get a voice to be able to communicate with their children or their loved ones or their caretakers or their doctors or in their job — this is a really huge movement.”

Gayheart and Dane first met in 2003 and tied the knot the following year. During their marriage they welcomed two daughters — Billie, now 16, and Georgia, 14. Though the couple separated in 2018, Gayheart remained closely involved in Dane’s life and served as one of his caregivers as he battled ALS.

She told the outlet that the family is still processing the loss.

“We’re still in a state of shock,” she said, while also expressing gratitude for the support they’ve received.

“I just want to thank everybody for being so kind to us during the last couple of years. It’s been challenging and meaningful, and people are kind,” she said. “I’m having trouble receiving all of the support and love coming at me from every which way because of Eric and the [entertainment] community that’s so generous with their time. They’ve been holding me and the girls up the last two weeks, and I don’t think they’re going anywhere. I think they’re in it for the long haul. Hollywood gets a bad rap. That kind of makes me mad, because we have a lovely community of people, and I’m so grateful for them.”

The Star's Tragic Death

Dane’s family confirmed his passing to People last month, sharing that he died on Thursday, Feb. 19 after battling ALS.

"With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS," the statement read. "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,” the 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.”

Not long after his death, Gayheart also shared a message on Instagram, saying she was overwhelmed by the support from friends, fans and the entertainment community.

She wrote that she was “blown away” by the “outpouring of love and support from our community."

“There aren’t words to express our gratitude,” she added alongside a photo of a candlelit memorial honoring Dane. “You are truly holding us up during this difficult time.”