Eric Dane, best known for his role as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, has had a long and winding relationship with his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart. The two first met in 2003, and their courtship moved quickly. In a 2008 interview with Flaunt magazine, Dane joked about their low-key love story, remarking it was far from dramatic: “It went basically like this: ‘You wanna go out?’ ‘Yeah, sure.’ Ten months later, we were married.” True to his word, they tied the knot in Las Vegas on October 29, 2004, in a ceremony that was as spontaneous as their romance.
Their marriage wasn’t without its ups and downs, though. In 2009, a private video of the couple and former Miss Teen USA Kari Ann Peniche, filmed years earlier, leaked online. The footage showed the trio in a bathtub, fully n*de, and while Gawker.com published it, Dane and Gayheart were quick to clarify it wasn’t a “s*x tape” but a private moment never meant for public consumption. They sued Gawker for copyright infringement, seeking $1 million in damages, but the incident became a tabloid spectacle.
Eric Dane’s Married Life With His Wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and Their Two Kids
Despite the scandal, their family grew. In September 2009, Gayheart announced her pregnancy, and on March 3, 2010, their first daughter, Billie Beatrice Dane, was born. The name was a tribute to Dane’s father, as he revealed in a 2016 interview: “Whether it was a boy or a girl, the firstborn was gonna be a Billie.”
Just over a year later, in July 2011, the couple announced they were expecting again. But that same month, Dane checked into rehab for painkiller dependency after a sports injury. Their second daughter, Georgia Geraldine Dane, arrived on December 28, 2011, completing their family. Gayheart later reflected on how different her second pregnancy was, joking that chasing after Billie kept her too busy to stress over every little symptom.
The couple faced more challenges in the years that followed. In 2017, Dane took a break from filming The Last Ship to deal with depression, and Gayheart publicly supported him with a sweet Instagram throwback, calling him her “Monday man crush.” But by February 2018, after 14 years of marriage, Gayheart filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
In a joint statement, they emphasized their commitment to co-parenting Billie and Georgia, calling the girls “the most important thing in the world to us.” The divorce, however, dragged on without being finalized. Over the next few years, the exes were spotted vacationing together in France in 2022 and holding hands in Cabo San Lucas in January 2023, sparking reconciliation rumors. Yet, in February 2025, Eric Dane was photographed with actress Priya Jain, adding another twist to their story.
Then, in a surprising turn, Gayheart filed to dismiss the divorce in March 2025, and both signed off on the paperwork. Just days later, she clarified their relationship in an interview with E! News, calling Dane her “best friend” and praising their co-parenting dynamic. “We really figured out the formula to staying a family,” she said, refusing to label their marriage a failure. “We were together for 15 years and had two beautiful kids. That’s a successful relationship.”
Their daughters, Billie and Georgia, have grown up in the spotlight. Billie, now 15, is a dancer and model who’s already graced red carpets, like the Bad Boys: Ride or Die premiere in 2024. She even watched every episode of Grey’s Anatomy, though Dane joked she’d “never” stream his darker HBO series, Euphoria. Georgia, 13, is an athletic kid who loves volleyball, and Gayheart once called her the family’s “little Buddha baby” for her easygoing nature. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Gayheart shared how Georgia was the only one “thriving” at home, finding joy in everything.
The family’s story took a heartbreaking turn in April 2025 when Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis. The rare neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, has no cure, but Dane remained optimistic, noting he was “grateful to have my loving family by my side.” He plans to continue working, including returning to Euphoria for its third season. Through it all, Gayheart and Dane have remained a united front for their girls, proving that even after divorce filings and public scandals, family comes first.
