Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart’s Relationship: All About Their Marriage, Separation and Recent Reconciliation

Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart‘s marriage has had its bumps, but they’ve continued to support each other through life’s challenges.

The Grey’s Anatomy alum and the Jawbreaker star wed in 2004, less than a year after their first date. After welcoming two children together — Billie in 2010 and Georgia in 2011 — Dane told PEOPLE in June 2014 that he felt like “a very lucky guy.”

“I never had a family, and now I do,” Dane said.

Things shifted for the family in February 2018, when Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane after 14 years of marriage. But in March 2025, the on-again-off-again couple appeared to reconcile, as Gayheart requested to dismiss the petition.

On April 10, Dane announced that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” he told PEOPLE. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”

The previous day, Gayheart gave E! News a status update on where she and Dane stood. “We are best of friends. We are really close,” she said.

From their wedding to their children, here’s everything to know about Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart’s relationship.

The pair married in 2004 — less than a year after they met

Though Dane has had his fair share of slow-burn relationships on-screen — especially while portraying Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy — things with the Scream 2 actress moved a bit quicker.

In 2008, the actor opened up to Flaunt magazine about the early days of his and Gayheart’s romance, saying, “It’s probably one of the least interesting stories in the world. It went basically like this: ‘You wanna go out?’ ‘Yeah, sure.’ Ten months later, we were married.”

The pair tied the knot in Las Vegas on Oct. 29, 2004.

They share two children

Dane and Gayheart welcomed their first child, daughter Billie Beatrice, in Los Angeles on March 3, 2010. During a 2016 appearance on Harry Connick Jr.‘s talk show, Dane revealed that she was named after his father.

The pair then welcomed their second daughter, Georgia Geraldine, on Dec. 28, 2011.

Now teenagers, Dane shared on Live with Kelly and Mark in June 2024 that his daughters have seen “every episode” of Grey’s Anatomy, adding that he will “never” let them watch Euphoria, in which he stars as Cal Jacobs.

They’ve endured some tough times

Things haven’t always been easy for Dane and Gayheart. While speaking to PEOPLE in June 2014, Dane, who went to rehab in 2011 to treat an addiction to painkillers following a sports injury, reflected on having “made mistakes,” and expressed remorse for how it impacted Gayheart.

“My one regret is that I got the person I love most wrapped up in all that: Rebecca,” Dane said.

The actor went on to express gratitude for their progress, saying, “I honestly think I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be at this moment in time. And I’m really happy.”

Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, but dismissed the petition in 2025

In February 2018, Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane after over a decade of marriage.

“After 14 years together we have decided that ending our marriage is the best decision for our family,” Dane told PEOPLE at the time. “We will continue our friendship and work as a team to co-parent our two beautiful girls as they are the most important thing in the world to us.”

Their divorce was never finalized, and in March 2025, Gayheart requested to dismiss the petition without prejudice, seven years after it was first filed.

They continued to co-parent while separated

In July 2019, Gayheart told PEOPLE that although she and Dane were separated, they were “doing [their] best to co-parent and maintain a family.”

“There’s a new normal for me and my family,” she explained. “And it’s taken us a little bit to get that down. Not going to lie, it hasn’t been easy. But I think what’s exciting is what’s ahead because there are so many different things that could happen now. I mean, we have so many options, and the good news is my kids are happy and healthy.”

The actress added, “I think we’re doing a pretty good job of it. Life is just good. There are so many exciting things happening.”

The pair even took their daughters on a few trips abroad. In August 2022, they went on a “family vacay” in Europe and were spotted together in Hawaii in December 2024.

Gayheart called their relationship “a huge success” amid Dane’s ALS diagnosis announcement

Despite the pair’s ups and downs, their marriage has been a success in Gayheart’s eyes.

“We are great co-parents. I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure,” Gayheart told E! News in April 2025, one day before Dane announced he was diagnosed with ALS.

“It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success,” she added. “We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years, and we had two beautiful kids so I think that’s a successful relationship, and that’s how we look at it.”

In Dane’s sit down interview on Good Morning America in June 2025, he said that Gayheart is who he calls when he needs support.

“I call Rebecca. I talk to her every day,” he said. “We have managed to become better friends and better parents. And she is probably my biggest champion, my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her.”