Rebecca Gayheart is opening up about a project that meant a great deal to her late husband, Eric Dane. The 54-year-old actress spoke publicly for the first time since the death of “Grey’s Anatomy” star Eric Dane, reflecting on a powerful voice restoration initiative he joined as his ALS diagnosis progressed.
In an interview with Variety, Gayheart shared that Dane collaborated with AI company ElevenLabs to recreate his voice using past recordings. The technology was designed to help restore his ability to communicate as the disease slowly took away his speech.
For Dane, the effort carried a deeply personal significance. The recreated voice would allow him to leave behind a message for the two daughters he shared with Gayheart, Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14.
Rebecca Gayheart Says Family Is Still Processing the Loss
Gayheart said the family is still trying to process Dane’s death and the overwhelming response of support from friends and colleagues across Hollywood.
The couple’s daughters have been surrounded by compassion during the difficult weeks since his passing.
“I just want to thank everybody for being so kind to us during the last couple of years. It’s been challenging and meaningful, and people are kind,” she added.
“I’m having trouble receiving all of the support and love coming at me from every which way because of Eric and the [entertainment] community that’s so generous with their time. They’ve been holding me and the girls up the last two weeks, and I don’t think they’re going anywhere. I think they’re in it for the long haul. Hollywood gets a bad rap. That kind of makes me mad, because we have a lovely community of people, and I’m so grateful for them.”
Eric Dane’s Emotional Reaction to Hearing His Voice Again
GettyGayheart said the moment Dane finally heard the recreated voice was one the family will never forget.
By that point, his ability to speak had weakened significantly, and he had been waiting anxiously for the technology to be completed.
“He was really excited about it, because he was losing his voice, and it was becoming more difficult for him to communicate each and every day. So it became sort of urgent,” Rebecca explained to the outlet.
The finished voice recreation arrived just weeks before Dane died, making the moment even more meaningful.
“He was waiting anxiously to hear it, and when we got it from ElevenLabs, it was a really big moment. It was a powerful moment. We played it, and Eric became visibly emotional. And when I heard it, I cried. I think everyone in the room did.”
The ALS Voice Project Dane Hoped Would Help Millions
GettyThe technology behind the project is designed to help people living with terminal neurological conditions, including ALS, maintain their ability to communicate.
According to the official website, ElevenLabs offers lifetime software licenses and technical support at no cost to patients with such illnesses. The company has committed services valued at nearly $1 billion, with the goal of helping one million people preserve or regain their voices.
The initiative also includes a series of documentary shorts highlighting individuals who have used the voice restoration tool.
Dane had been expected to appear among the 11 participants featured in the project. However, his health declined before filming could take place.
Gayheart will now take part in a panel during the premiere of the documentary series, continuing the advocacy work Dane believed in.
Getty“He wanted to advocate for love and for the movement [around ALS] and so I’m there to do this for him. For a million people to get a voice to be able to communicate with their children or their loved ones or their caretakers or their doctors or in their job — this is a really huge movement,” she explained.
For Gayheart, supporting the project is now a way to carry forward the cause that meant so much to Dane.
