As Eric Dane faced the final moments of his life, his family fought to hold on to every precious moment.
Rebecca Gayheart, who remained close to Dane after they separated in 2018, opened up about his final months battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the toll it took on their two daughters and how she's keeping his memory alive.
Dane died Feb. 19, less than a year after publicly revealing his ALS diagnosis.
"We tried to be present through all of our fear and frustration and uncertainty," Gayheart told People of the family's last months together. "It was truly an exhausting and heartbreaking experience, but it also showed us his extraordinary strength every day, and that was really wonderful for the girls and myself to witness."
While Gayheart tried to remain strong for Dane as they searched for answers about his worsening symptoms ahead of his diagnosis, she admitted nothing could have prepared her for the news that he had ALS.
"I went into my closet and closed the door," she told the outlet. "I was always telling him, ‘You’re going to be okay, we’re going to figure this out.’ But that day was like a punch in the gut. It took my breath away."
As Gayheart and Dane struggled to come to terms with the diagnosis themselves, they faced another challenge: explaining the news to their two young daughters.
"They had so many questions, it still felt like it wasn’t real," she said. "And their father let them know that he wanted to try to spend as much time as possible with them."
"I’m eating sushi with my kids, and suddenly I can’t work the chopsticks with my right hand," he wrote in his memoir, according to People. "My hand tingles, and then my fingers feel numb. Some kind of weird nerve thing, I think. I shake it off. I’m probably texting too much. Three weeks later, it happens again, only worse. I can’t grip the chopsticks at all."
The emotional impact of Dane's diagnosis was something the actor also addressed in his own words.
"[Rebecca and I] were married for 14 years, grew apart, filed for divorce, but never got around to signing the papers. We’ve since stayed close, co-parenting, going on vacations as a family, spending time together, and now we talk every day," Dane wrote. "I say to Rebecca on the phone, ‘It’s what we feared.’"
"I don’t remember a single word I said after that," he recalled. "I remember only feeling a violent impact, like getting the wind knocked out of me, and Rebecca wailing on the other end of the phone, and then I really lose it, and my sobs make my body shudder, and I hear her words pouring out amid her tears, ‘I’m here, we’ll fight this together, I’m not going anywhere.’"
Gayheart and Dane married in Las Vegas on Oct. 29, 2004, and welcomed two daughters, Billie, born in March 2010, and Georgia, born in December 2011. The two shared a love story that lasted more than two decades, despite years of separation.
After his death, Gayheart revealed the moments she misses the most now that Dane is gone.
"After the kids downloaded me on their day, I’d call him and be like, ‘Oh my God, there’s a boy that likes Georgia.’ Or when Billie got her driver’s license, I wanted to call him so badly because that was something he was really excited about," she told People.
If she could talk to him now, Gayheart said she would want Dane to know how much his strength meant to their family and how deeply he was loved.
"I’d say that I’m proud of him, that we all love him so much, and I hope he really felt that," the "Urban Legend" star said.
As she and their daughters navigate life without Dane, Gayheart said she's determined to honor his legacy by protecting their girls and ensuring their father's memory remains a constant presence in their lives.
"I’m going to look after these girls and protect them with everything in my body and soul. And we’re not going to let people forget him."
Welcome to Screencaps, "America's Best Daily Column," as named by the readers. Screencaps, which publishes seven-days-a-week, is a mix of sports, pop culture, and emails from sane readers from around the world. This column isn't for the coastal elites. Give us a week to steal your heart. Our track record is pretty good. Let's have some fun.
I know this is an older video of John Daly explaining his gambling losses, but there's a nugget in here I hadn't heard before
As someone who has cigs and an empty pack of M&Ms signed by JD, there's something else I need signed for my Daly collection: an ace and face card. I've seen parts of this interview over the years, but I'd never heard that Daly was losing millions — he estimates his losses got as high as $55 million – playing 7-handed blackjack at casinos.
"The game of golf, if you’re in the hunt, you’ve got adrenaline going. But you got 140 to 300, 400,000 on the blackjack table, you’re going to have adrenaline. And I think that’s what I loved more than anything," Daly said in the "Hit It Hard" ESPN 30 for 30.
In that documentary, JD said gambling for four days straight was his life. He estimated the net losses once he'd hit rock-bottom were north of $50 million after gambling somewhere just south of $100 million.
Good luck at the casinos this weekend. Just don't be like Big John. Take a break. Go for a walk. Call it a day if the tables turn cold while playing SEVEN hands.
Have you guys been asked by an airport kiosk to add a tip at a self-checkout? This guy caught a self-serve airport kiosk where you buy water and drinks asking for a tip. I guess this isn't any different than grab & go drink stations at sporting events asking for tips.
The lesson here is that you better have your head on a swivel or that $7.50 bottle of water is going to be nearly $10 when the computer gets its tip because you're not paying attention.
Speaking of airports, why is there so much gum in urinals?
• Tom in Virginia asks:I'm sitting in the Charlotte airport, and able to read today's column because the Wi-Fi works for a change. Because I spend a lot of time in airports, I pose the following: Do guys purposely spit their gum in urinals, or are there a suspiciously high number of accidental drops? It's so common, and I move along to a clear option, but I think about the custodian dude who knows, and I mean death-and-taxes knows, that will be a part of his shift today.
Also, I get your Superbar idea, but it will never happen. I will give you a minute to visualize what derelict behavior will inevitably follow the ribbon cutting.
Good weekend to you. Take your hats off indoors, gents.
Dump Dinners and standing for the anthem
• Chris from California is fired up: Until it showed up in your column I didn’t even know "Dump Dinners" were a thing and having watched that video, now think they may be one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen.
While I think some parents do it for the social media attention, I also think a lot of it is because of the infantilization of the modern adult. Remember, parents with kids this age are also the ones that are still living with their mom and dad, have to have coloring books and fidget toys at work to settle their nerves and focus and flat out refuse to grow up. They say it’s because the economy, the political system, blah, blah, blah… but honestly it’s because they’ve been allowed and are still being allowed to act like children and they are passing that along to their children.
It’s difficult and frustrating to teach your children table manners and how to eat like something other than a wild animal, so why not do something trendy that removes that headache and responsibility?
I will continue to bang the drum until the day I die, but the habits and manners we instill at home are what makes the difference between a successful persona and a whiny layabout. Could I have my children eat like animals and have no sense of order or decorum because it makes my life easier? Sure, but then what happens when they go over to a friend’s house or actually out in public and act like that?
I have 3 boys, all of whom are very active and do a ton of activities outside of school and have very active, robust, healthy social lives. Two of them are teenagers so I’ll let them go meet their friends at McDonald’s or go bum around the mall and I know that when they are doing those things they are reflecting the responsibility and values I helped instill in them. If I wasn’t 1000% sure they were doing that I wouldn’t let them leave the house.
It may make a few dinners here and there more difficult to teach your kids to use silverware, wipe themselves with a napkin, clean up after themselves, say, please and thank you but that little bit of extra effort makes a HUGE difference in their lives, maybe not right then and there but later on in life.
Also, another Outkick writer asked if we are all over getting up in arms about all of the stupid antics held during the National Anthem. The answer, at least for me is a resounding NO!!! It’s two minutes of a 3 plus hour sporting event used to honor and remember all of the men and women that made that very sporting event possible!
Once again, I have teenage boys, they don’t take anything seriously but to go back to my earlier point I taught them from the moment they were old enough to stand that they stand and show some damn respect when the anthem is sung. They don’t question it, they don’t fight it. I explained exactly why it means something and they may not agree with whatever the politics are of the moment but they know the anthem is about far more than that and these are teenage boys that also punch each other through walls and try to shotgun Dr. Pepper’s.
We do need to make a big deal out of it when athletes blow the anthem off. They are making millions of dollars that they couldn’t make anywhere else in the world because of the very things that flag and that anthem represent. If they really can’t be bothered to show some respect then we shouldn’t be bothered enough to give them our attention and money. Grow up, stand up, stand still and when you eat… eat like a human!!!
How to watch the NFL while listening to the radio broadcast
• Travis says: There's free software that has been around for at least 12 years called Radiodelay that allows you to pause live radio so it can sync to your TV broadcast. I started using it in 2013 and it's probably older than that.
You can either connect an external radio to your microphone in jack or use a URL if your favorite radio station streams their content online.
Food that too many places screw up: Nachos
• Steve in Texas spent time near where I live:Sad to hear about the lack of quality nachos in NW OH. More years back than I care to count there was a Mexican restaurant in downtown Perrysburg, OH that had great Macho Nachos. I gained about 15 lb having them and a margarita a couple times a week while on an internship in Toledo one summer. I think it was Casa de Barron and it was back in the late 80’s. Also still need to get back to Tony Packo’s, the job was just down the street from the original location.
Kinsey: There's good news and bad news, Steve. The bad news is that Casa Barron is gone, but it was replaced by a legit Mexican restaurant operated by one of the the real good guys in the food industry. I haven't been to the new place even though it's been there a few years.
As for Packo's, I have bad news: The food is all factory-made and overpriced. Yes, even the original Packo's. It's just not the same as 15-20 years ago. And if you were eating it pre-2000, it's going to be really disappointing. The original Packo's is still an institution, but the food has gone downhill.
Don't forget to vote in my poll
My phone hadn't been hammered until Thursday. I don't know what list I ended up on, but it's officially being lit up. Amy Acton is pleading with me to donate $5 to battle Vivek. This election can't get over with fast enough.
Go have an incredible weekend. We'll be in Columbus for the Ohio Junior High Cross Country State Championships. Can Screencaps Jr. run in the 11:20s or maybe even the 11:19s at one of the fastest courses of the season? The weather should be just about perfect. Stay tuned.
Nearly 500 days had passed since Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton last played in a regular-season NBA game. On Wednesday, the two-time All-Star made his long-awaited return, scoring 23 points to help Indiana secure a 123-120 season-opening victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Haliburton was sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder went on to win the championship that year.
During Wednesday’s on-court postgame interview, the conversation took an emotional turn as Haliburton reflected on his long road back to the hardwood.
Asked about his performance in the season opener and how much fun he had playing with his teammates, Haliburton became visibly emotional.
"It means a lot to be back out here," Haliburton said as he fought back tears.
"We've got a lot to pick up, the second quarter wasn't good. But, we're battle-tested so we finished this game the right way. Just really proud of this group."
Haliburton added: "... I’m just really thankful to be back out here."
The Pacers experienced a significant drop-off without their star guard last season, finishing with just 19 wins. That was a far cry from the team that had come within one victory of winning an NBA championship the year before.
With Haliburton back, Indiana expects to contend in a competitive Eastern Conference. The Pacers host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday for their home opener.
The NBA season may be only two days old, but Charles Barkley already appears to be in midseason form. During the first hour of Wednesday night’s "NBA Tip-Off" pregame show, Barkley appeared to surprise host Ernie Johnson with an unexpected revelation about Shaquille O’Neal.
Barkley suggested that O’Neal knows FBI Director Kash Patel, delivering the comment so casually that the entire "Inside the NBA" crew broke into laughter.
"Hey, Kenny. Should we be standing this close to Shaq?" Barkley asked.
Fellow NBA analyst Kenny Smith responded: "Why is that?"
"He’s been hanging out with Kash Patel," Barkley explained. "That’s dangerous."
"Oh!! Oh! Oh, I didn’t know you were gonna be going there," Johnson said. "But I should have known you would."
"Alright, Chuck," O’Neal replied as he continued to laugh. "Alright, Chuck."
For more than three decades, Ernie Johnson has hosted "Inside the NBA," which originates from a television studio in Atlanta. Two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith joined the show in 1998, Barkley came aboard in 2000 and O’Neal became a permanent fixture in 2011.
"I got your back, big fella," Barkley said. "We can hang out with who the hell we want to."
Barkley was hinting to Patel’s decision in September to name O’Neal an honorary FBI special agent.
"This session is historic – FBI was honored to be joined by one of the best supporters of law enforcement in the country -Shaq- who graduated with this session and became an honorary FBI Special Agent," Patel wrote on Sept. 17, in a post to X.
During his graduation ceremony, O’Neal joked that Barkley could be his first arrest. "Some of you will go back to your regular jobs, some of you will go to specialized training," O’Neal said in a speech to the graduating class.
"Some of you will go do what I do, be undercover. Well, I was undercover… But I just wanna say I appreciate you guys so much. Congratulations. I am not here for this; I am here for you… And if you see Charles Barkley, arrest him."
Who would have thought a "Wet & Wild" show put on by a touring group by the name of UK Pleasure Boys would get out of hand? Not the English soccer team who allowed the 18-plus show to take place at their clubhouse last weekend.
Banbury United FC was as surprised as anyone when footage of the event hosted at The Spencer Clubhouse started popping up on social media. Now they're reviewing how this could have ever taken place.
The clips of the event that surfaced show male dancers in cowboy hats dancing and stripping on stage, reports the Daily Mail. The dancers then go into the audience where they appear to "perform sex acts on members of a raucous crowd."
It sounds wet and wild to me, but I have no idea what they thought they were signing up for. The apology they ended up issuing after the event indicates that they were expecting a much tamer wet and wild.
"I've worked in hospitality for a long time. Whenever these events happen the women just go nuts - particularly the mums," a source told the Daily Mail. "I guess if it is your one night out in God knows how long, you are going to need to let off some steam."
That's one way to look at it. Banbury United FC had a different way of looking at it. One that required an apology to be issued.
"We are aware of video clips circulating online from the UK Pleasure Boys' 'Wet & Wild' show held at The Spencer Clubhouse on Saturday, October 17. This was a ticketed, 18+ event," they said in a statement.
"The images suggest that part of the performance towards the end went beyond what we find acceptable at our venue. We apologise to anyone in attendance who was offended. The venue was booked for that evening by an external promoter as part of a UK-wide tour," the statement continued.
"We are reviewing what happened and will revise our hire and conduct terms for performance events as a result."
This should be a simple fix. If the UK Pleasure Boys are coming to town for a "Wet & Wild" show, believe that they're going to deliver said show.
If a wet and wild show by a group calling themselves pleasure boys is out of your comfort zone, don't allow them to book it. Problem solved and, at the end of the day, that's all I'm trying to do is help solve problems.
Login
