Inside Eric Dane's Personal Life
Eric Dane has been pretty busy taking his career to new heights. The San Francisco native, who became a household name as McSteamy in "Grey's Anatomy," has been showcasing the extent of his acting skills on HBO's "Euphoria" since 2019. Dane's portrayal of Cal Jacobs, the dysfunctional father of one of the show's teenage leads, has impressed critics and fans alike. "Dane is simply spectacular," Variety's Daniel D'Addario raved in a January 30 review. Similarly, TV Insider readers deemed Cal Jacobs the best character Dane has ever played in a poll, garnering 54% of the votes against 25% who voted for Tom Chandler on "The Last Ship," the role that ranked second.
Following Dane's exhilarating performance in the fourth episode of Season 2, which came out on January 30, had social media users guessing the actor is paving the way for an Emmy nomination, as Cosmopolitan UK pointed out. For his part, Dane is appreciative of showrunner's Sam Levinson for allowing him to incorporate his own vision into the role. "The freedom I get with this character is unparalleled with any other job I've had," he told Entertainment Tonight in late January. "It's been fun to create an entirely new character."
Could it be that Dane's preoccupation with the direction in which he wants to steer his career has led him to put his personal life aside? We don't know, but we do know that his marriage status has been up in the air for four years now.
Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart's 2018 divorce isn't finalized
After 14 years of marriage, Rebecca Gayheart filed for divorce from Eric Dane, as E! News reported in February 2018. In a statement, the couple emphasized they would remain close in their attempt to raise their daughters Billie, born in 2010, and Georgia, born in 2011. "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," they said.
Fast-forward to 2022 and the divorce proceedings have pretty much stayed there. Neither Dane nor the "Urban Legend" actor has made any filing in the divorce since September 2019, as Radar Online reported in January 2021. In fact, their inaction prompted the judge assigned to the case to issue a warning for Dane and Gayheart in June 2019, according to People. "If you fail to take the appropriate steps in your case, the court may dismiss your case for delay in prosecution."
Radar reported that Dane and Gayheart had decided to halt divorce proceedings, though the pair has never clarified the status of their relationship. But in January 2020, Gayheart shared "family photos" of her New Year's celebrations to Instagram that included Dane. In March of that year, the two were seen shopping at Target together, as TMZ reported. Dane and Gayheart have clearly come through on their promise to remain close, but whether they will give their marriage another shot remains unclear.
Inside some of Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart's hardships
Only Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane know what caused the end of their marriage, but they've had to sail through rough waters in their 14 years together. In 2011, Dane sought professional help in his fight against addiction to prescription drugs, as the Los Angeles Times reported that July. He developed the addiction after suffering a sports-related injury, his rep told People. Dane has also been open about his mental health struggles. In 2017, when he was working on TNT's "The Last Ship", he asked producers for time off to deal with "personal issues," according to Variety. "[Dane] suffers from depression and has asked for a few weeks of downtime," an insider detailed.
Dane and Gayheart also made headlines in 2009, when a leaked tape featuring the couple and Kari Ann Peniche hanging out au naturale made the rounds. "We've all made mistakes," Dane told People in 2014. "My one regret is that I got the person I love most wrapped up in all that: Rebecca. But we worked through it and put it behind us." But in 2019, he told Glamour his outlook had changed on what constitutes a mistake. "I have no regrets nor do I make any apologies for my life experience."
It is unclear whether any of these issues put a strain on the relationship. All we know is that, on the day Gayheart filed for divorce, she mentioned "broken hearts and shattered dreams" on Instagram.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).