Rebecca Gayheart has explained why she and Eric Dane never finalized their divorce after separating in 2018. Speaking on the November 4 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Gayheart said preserving a sense of family was important to her, even though reconciliation was not going to happen.
Gayheart filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage. The couple, who married in Las Vegas in October 2004, have two daughters: Billie, now 16, and Georgia, now 14. Dane died in February 2026 after battling ALS.
Asked about the effect of the decision on their children, Gayheart said it may have given them hope that their parents could get back together. She added that she and Dane made clear that they would not reconcile, while acknowledging she could not know exactly how the situation affected the girls.
Gayheart said the arrangement also allowed the children to see that their parents remained friends and worked to co-parent. She described family as central to her and said she believes her daughters would say their family stayed intact.
Sources: Just Jared.