Rebecca Gayheart marked a bittersweet milestone this week, celebrating daughter Billie’s 16th birthday just 12 days after the death of Billie’s father, Eric Dane.
The Grey’s Anatomy actor passed away on February 19 at age 53 following a public struggle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Gayheart took to Instagram Stories on March 3 to wish her daughter on her special day.
She wrote, “Happy sweet 16 to the sweetest girl — mommy loves you to the moon and back unconditionally forever and ever.”
The posts featured childhood photos of Billie, including moments with Dane, set to Fleetwood Mac’s Landslide, underscoring the family’s mix of joy and grief.
Dane and Gayheart tied the knot in 2004 and welcomed two daughters: Billie (16) and Georgia (14).
Although Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, she requested to dismiss the filing in 2025, after Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis.
In a December 2025 essay for The Cut, Gayheart reflected on how Dane’s illness shaped their daughters’ lives.
She said, “They’re trying to individuate while they’re having to deal with this really huge loss and anticipatory grief.”
For the unversed, the official cause of death of Euphoria star has been confirmed to be respiratory failure.
The latest finding came around the time Dane was paid tribute in the episode 11 of season 22 of Grey’s Anatomy with a heartfelt montage.
