Rebecca Gayheart has described how she and her daughters stayed beside Eric Dane during his final days in hospital.
The 55-year-old spoke to Maria Shriver on Today as his posthumous memoir was released.
Eric died from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on February 19, aged 53.
Rebecca said the family had expected him to come home, just as he had after previous admissions.
Rebecca Gayheart recalls hospital stay with daughters
The family brought battery-operated candles into his room and played his favourite music.
Rebecca explained that they stayed there together, trying to make the hospital surroundings as comfortable as possible. But understanding the seriousness of his condition took several days.
She remembered earlier visits ending with Eric returning home and family life settling into a routine. That routine continued to change from week to week as his illness progressed.
This admission was different. By his third day in hospital, Rebecca noticed a shift in how doctors spoke to the family. She said the information they received also changed.
“I had no idea that that was it, that that week was going to be our last week,” she said.
She explained that their daughters had not anticipated his death that February either.
Eric remained aware of what was happening, she recalled, although speaking had become difficult. Rebecca, their daughters, and his closest friends could still understand him much of the time.
“But I remember the moment Eric decided to make some choices, and he did. … He was in control of the way he was going to leave,” she said.
Rebecca Gayheart on caring for Eric Dane
Rebecca also described the contrast between Eric becoming more mentally engaged and losing his physical abilities.
Watching those changes was particularly difficult for their daughters, she said. She recalled feeling overwhelmed, with much of that period becoming a blur.
During his illness, Rebecca helped organise his care. Writing for The Cut in December, she explained that she managed his care team.
The couple married in 2004 and filed for divorce in 2018. In March 2025, Rebecca requested the divorce’s dismissal, with both signing the documents.
Eric publicly announced his ALS diagnosis the following month.
Rebecca’s interview accompanied the release of My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments. His posthumous memoir is now available.
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