Since revealing his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis in April, Eric Dane has made it clear that his relationship with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, is his number one priority.
“I mean, I really, at the end of the day, just, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can,” he told Diane Sawyer during an emotional segment on Good Morning America last week, in which he also broke down in tears while talking about Rebecca, whom he married in 2004. “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.”
If you heard about these quotes, you may have also been a little confused when, just a few days later, Eric appeared to debut his relationship with filmmaker Janell Shirtcliff at the premiere of his new show, Countdown.
You’re probably wondering, “Is this the same guy who was just talking about his wife on national TV?” Well, yes, you’d be correct. Eric and Rebecca are technically still married, although it sounds like their relationship has taken on a new form in the past few years.
As previously mentioned, Eric and Rebecca tied the knot in 2004, had two kids, and stayed happily married until 2018, when Rebecca filed for divorce. Years passed, the divorce proceedings never moved forward, and by 2023, people began to suspect the pair were getting back together.
Fast-forward to March this year, and Rebecca requested to dismiss her divorce filing after seven years. It was only a month later, in April, that Eric’s ALS diagnosis was made public. While giving an update on their marriage during an interview with E! News around the same time, Rebecca clarified that they’re still married and “best of friends,” without suggesting that they’re romantically involved.
The details are still a little fuzzy, but based on Rebecca’s comments — and the fact that she recently referred to him as her “ex-husband” on IG — it sounds like she and Eric, though legally married, are not together romantically. As for Janell, it would make sense that she and Eric began dating a few years ago when he and Rebecca were separated, as per the ET reports.
To make matters more confusing, Eric has also been rumored to be dating Priya Jain, with whom he’s been photographed numerous times since they were first linked in November 2024. They were last seen looking cozy together a month ago, so not exactly clear what’s going on here. Last Thursday, an anonymous source alleged to Page Six that Priya was “blindsided” by Eric and Janell’s red carpet debut.
