The late Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart had a unique bond even after they separated in February 2018. At the time of their split, Dane and Gayheart had been married for 14 years and had welcomed two daughters, Billie, born in March 2010, and Georgia, born in December 2011. The couple stressed in a 2018 statement that "ending our marriage is the best decision for our family." "We will continue our friendship and work as a team to coparent our two beautiful girls as they are the most important thing in the world to us," Dane and Gayheart told Entertainment Tonight in March 2018. "We kindly ask that you respect our privacy during this time as we navigate the next phase of our lives." However, the couple never actually followed through with finalizing their divorce - and Gayheart eventually asked a court to have her divorce petition dismissed in March 2025. Later that year, Dane credited Gayheart with being his biggest supporter following his ALS diagnosis. (Dane died at age 53 in February 2026 after a battle with the neuromuscular disease.) What Were Eric Dane's Symptoms Before ALS Diagnosis and Death at Age 53? Keep scrolling for some of Dane and Gayheart's honest comments about their relationship after their 2018 separation. Rebecca Gayheart Said Coparenting With Eric Dane Wasn't Easy at First Six months after splitting from Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about the difficulties of coparenting with an ex. "We do our best," Gayheart told Us in September 2018. "I think that we're ... I'm not going to lie, it's not easy all the time. But we're doing OK." The Scream 2 actress shared with Us that she wasn't yet ready to seriously think about dating. "I hang out with girlfriends," she insisted. In October 2018, Gayheart admitted to Us that there were "so many things" that were challenging about coparenting with a former spouse. "It isn't easy," she said. "But we are trying and we are committed." Rebecca Gayheart Said Her Divorce from Eric Dane Gave Her a Unique Opportunity Rebecca Gayheart went back to work as an actress and model shortly after filing for divorce. When Us Weekly chatted with her in October 2018, Gayheart said that the end of her marriage offered her an opportunity to set a good example for her daughters. "I think that as a female you need to be able to always take care of yourself and never depend on a man," Gayheart told Us. "I'm going back to work and I think it's partly because I want my daughters to see me work. I took some time off to have my kids." Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart-Dane in June 2013. Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for Chrysalis Gayheart wanted her daughters, Billie and Georgia, to understand that life isn't actually like the Disney animated movies they grew up watching. "A lot of little girls watch and they start fantasizing about Prince Charming [saving them]," she noted. "I think that's a message that's very old-fashioned." Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane Prioritized Their Family After Splitting There were seemingly a rocky first few months after Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane separated, but they always put their daughters first. They frequently vacationed as a family in subsequent years and even attended public events together. By early 2020, Gayheart and Dane faced a dilemma shared by many divorced couples during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gayheart told Us Weekly in June 2020 that she was parenting "pretty much solo" because of social distancing restrictions. "With the pandemic and the social distancing, [it] has been difficult," she conceded. "But [the girls have] been here with me so that's been good. [It's] very consistent that they've been in one place." Gayheart noted that her family had some "super challenging" days during the pandemic, though the tough times brought them closer together. "[The other day], we ended up at the Marina ... and it was exactly what we needed," she recalled. "We needed a day to do something different, be outside, take our masks off and play music." Rebecca Gayheart Called Off Her and Eric Dane's Divorce in March 2025 Us Weekly reported in March 2025 that Gayheart asked a court to formally dismiss her divorce petition seven years after she originally filed the documents. In April of that year, she opened up to E! News about where she stood with Dane. "We are best of friends. We are really close. We are great coparents," she beamed. "We really figured out the formula to staying a family, and I think our kids are benefiting greatly from it and we are as well." Gayheart and Dane both felt it was important "not look at a relationship that ends as a failure." "It's just a season. It wasn't a failure. It was a huge success," she pointed out. "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." Despite rumors that they had rekindled their romance, Gayheart and Dane were both linked to other people at