Whatever Happened To Rebecca Gayheart?
The following article contains references to suicide.
If the name Rebecca Gayheart rings a bell, you were definitely around in the '90s. The actress and model, known for her trademark curly hair, was at the top of her game in that decade. The Kentucky native got her start as a teen model in the 1980s, but it was her role as a spokesmodel for Noxzema skin products that put her on the map in the early 1990s. Gayheart quit modeling to pursue acting, and after landing a few minor roles, she got her big break as a recurring guest star on "Beverly Hills, 90210." From there, she was cast in major films like "Scream 2" in 1997 and "Urban Legend" in 1998. Her most iconic role, though, was that of Julie Freeman in the 1999 dark comedy "Jawbreaker," which centers on a high school clique who accidentally murder their best friend on her birthday.
With Gayheart's career on a steady incline, she was set to be one of Hollywood biggest stars. But in the next two decades, she took on little more than very minor roles, and her career never really lived up to its potential. So what ever happened to Rebecca Gayheart? We break it down for you.
A tragic accident changed everything for Rebecca Gayheart in 2001
Rebecca Gayheart's career decline can be traced back to a tragic accident that occurred in 2001. "[E]verything changed from that, and, I still have trouble talking about it," she said on an episode of "The Only One in the Room" podcast (via The Sun).
The accident happened when Gayheart was driving in Los Angeles and the car in front of her suddenly slammed on its brakes. Gayheart swerved around it to avoid hitting it. Instead, she hit a 9-year-old boy named Jorge Cruz Jr., who was the reason the car came to a halt in the first place. "It was a soccer ball, his soccer ball went ... And he was chasing his soccer ball," she said (via The Sun). Cruz died the next day. "I know it's an accident, but it still ... I just go, 'God I wish I'd stopped for that pack of cigarettes down the street,' or 'I wish I was smarter in the moment,'" Gayheart said. Gayheart has urged other drivers to learn from her mistake and never swerve around a stopped car because "that car stopped for a reason."
In November 2001, Gayheart pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter. The actress was sentenced to probation and 750 hours of community service and received a one-year suspension of her license and a $2,800 fine. She also covered the $10,000 cost of the child's funeral and settled a wrongful death lawsuit out of court with Cruz's parents.
She contemplated suicide after the accident
On "The Only One in the Room" podcast, Rebecca Gayheart opened up about the aftermath of the tragic accident. She struggled to cope with the guilt and pain, which led her to contemplate suicide. "I just didn't want to live after that accident. That's what it came down to," she said (via The Sun). "I couldn't handle it at all. So I spent about a year just trying to kill myself, basically, by doing every self-destructive thing a person can do."
The actress explained that she was haunted by the incident and found herself replaying it over and over again in her head. "You know, those things never go away. They stay with you forever, and I did not cope very well after." She also struggled to find meaning in what happened. "It just turned my world upside down, and I lost faith in everything, like, I questioned God, like, 'Why me? Why Jorge?'"
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
After the accident, Rebecca Gayheart took on smaller TV roles
Rebecca Gayheart's acting career took a major hit in the years that followed the accident. The former It girl, who once played the leading lady in big films, now took on minor roles in TV shows. In 2002, she was fired from Joss Whedon's show "Firefly" after only one day of filming due to a lack of chemistry. In 2003, she appeared in one episode of sitcom "What I Like About You", three episodes of police procedural "The Division," and five episodes of the dark comedy series "Dead Like Me," playing the character of Betty Rhomer. And starting in 2004, she played the role of Natasha Charles, a blind woman, on three episodes of the controversial drama series "Nip/Tuck."
She also appeared in a few films, like the 2005 holiday horror comedy "Santa's Slay," but none of this measured up to the success of her previous work. Whether it was a deliberate decision on Gayheart's part to stay out of the Hollywood limelight or that her accident affected her ability to get major roles remains unclear.
She made her Broadway debut in 2005
In 2005, Rebecca Gayheart was cast in the Broadway show "Steel Magnolias." She played Shelby, the main character who demonstrates resilience and positivity despite her health problems. Speaking about the role to People in 2005, Gayheart discussed the toll the accident took on her mental health. "[It was a] terrible, terrible time. I couldn't really function for a while," she said, explaining that she couldn't eat or sleep. She also thought she would never return to acting. "I just got to a point where I realized I needed help. I got into therapy. I've been in therapy since then. It's really been helpful," she said. Finally, she started rebuilding her life, including her acting career. "This role ... feels like a fresh start," she told People.
After opening night, she gushed to The New York Post about her big career move. "It's been extremely nerve-wracking and exciting," she said. "It was bittersweet, but now it's all sweet. When it first started, I was definitely having nightmares of forgetting lines, but I'm enjoying myself right now. It's a dream come true." She added that her parents were extremely proud of her performance.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
Rebecca Gayheart married Eric Dane in 2004
In 2003, Rebecca Gayheart met actor Eric Dane, whom you probably know better as Dr. Mark "McSteamy” Sloan on "Grey's Anatomy." After less than a year of dating, the couple made a spur-of-the-moment decision to get married. "We were having dinner at a restaurant, and she asked me if I ever did anything impulsive, and I said, 'Like what? Ask someone to marry me?' and she said, 'Yeah, something like that,' and I said, 'Do you want to marry me?" Dane explained (via Express).
The couple asked for the check, caught the evening's last flight out to Las Vegas, and tied the knot in a Vegas chapel. It was October 29, 2004.
To drive home just how impromptu the decision was, take a look at who the best man was: their airport cab driver. "I feel lucky I found him," she told People. "He definitely appeared in my life at the right time."
She was involved in a nude tape scandal in 2009
In 2009, Gawker posted a tape that featured Rebecca Gayheart, her husband Eric Dane, and former Miss U.S. Teen Kari Ann Peniche naked in a hot tub. All three appear to be under the influence of alcohol and discuss their porn star names, a trend that combines the name of your first pet and the street on which you grew up. (In case you were wondering, Dane's would be Cocaine Manor.)
The couple's lawyer Marty Singer released a statement, saying, "Although the participants are nude, the tape is not a 'sex tape.' It is a private tape made for only my clients' personal use, and nobody has the right to exploit it. If anyone exploits the tape, they will be violating my clients' rights and will be exposed to significant liability" (via MTV News).
Gayheart and Dane sued Gawker Media for copyright infringement and were awarded a six-figure settlement. In 2014, Dane told People, "We've all made mistakes. My one regret is that I got the person I love most wrapped up in all that: Rebecca." But in 2019, he said his only mistake was calling the tape a mistake, thereby confirming the media's portrayal of the tape as something to be judged. "Three consenting adults, one of them being my wife? I wasn't doing anything wrong. ... I don't necessarily think I was breaking any laws and corrupting anybody. We were just three people taking a bath," he told Glamour.
Rebecca Gayheart had her first child in 2010
Rebecca Gayheart became a mother in 2010. She and her then-husband Eric Dane welcomed their first child together on March 3, a girl named Billie Beatrice. Their daughter was named after Dane's father, and he revealed that their first child was always going to be Billie, regardless of the baby's sex. According to a source, the couple had been trying to conceive for a long time.
Shortly after Billie turned 1, Gayheart opened up to OK! magazine about the milestones her daughter had reached. "Oh my gosh, she is walking now, she is talking now!" she said. "She is only 15 months, so she has about four words. She says, 'Mama!' 'Dada' is one. She says 'Ball,' she says 'Hi,' and she says, 'Duck!'" The actress also said she was excited to have more children with Dane.
Gayheart also gushed about her daughter's musical talents, telling People that she loved to twirl and sing. And like most mothers, Gayheart had to find creative ways to get her to eat healthy food. "She doesn't want to eat her vegetables right now," she said. "I'm sneaking it into food, so she doesn't know she's eating them, but she is!"
While the actress admitted she missed acting and is excited to return to work one day, no job will compare to motherhood. "When I'm with [Billie] there's nowhere else in the world I want to be. Because I'm where I'm supposed to be," she said.
She had her second child in 2011
On December 28, 2011, Rebecca Gayheart gave birth to her second child with Eric Dane — another girl — named Georgia Geraldine. Gayheart opened up about being a mother to two children under 2, admitting that it would be a challenge but one she was up for. "Eventually, it's going to be great because they're going to be very close in age and very close, hopefully," she told People.
In a 2016 interview with Seedling, Gayheart spoke about raising her daughters to become strong, independent women who aren't afraid to use their voices. "I've encouraged them since they were babies to express themselves," she said. "I think self-expression starts for girls at a young age with their clothing. It's incredible how both Billie and Georgia would crawl over and put on a tutu before they were 2." Creativity is central to Gayheart's approach to parenting. Whether they're making faces out of fruit for breakfast, choosing fun outfits, or pretending items around the house are microphones, Gayheart likes to imbue their everyday routine with magic and creativity. She also loves to work on arts and crafts projects with her daughters, like making homemade soap and turning empty boxes into pretend rocket ships.
Gayheart wants to set a good example for her daughters, who she hopes will "learn to never give up, that girls can do anything that boys can do. (And most of the time, better.)"
Rebecca Gayheart lost her sister in 2017
In 2017, Rebecca Gayheart sadly lost her younger sister Rachel. At the time of her death, she was incarcerated in a Kentucky jail on drug charges. Gayheart posted a tribute to her late sister on Instagram, explaining that she was buried on a hilltop in Kentucky. "She was loved by everyone and had a wicked sense of humor and the most loving heart. Life has not been easy for you sis but now you can be peaceful," read part of her caption. She also reminded her followers that life is short and urged them not to take anything or anyone for granted. "Let this be a reminder that every day is precious and we must live our best life NOW. Let your loved ones know how much you care as there is no guarantee that you will get another day to do so," she continued.
Friends close to Gayheart expressed their concern over Gayheart's mental health. "Eric's problems, combined with losing her sister, has everyone worried she might not have the strength [to cope] anymore," a source said, referring to her husband Eric Dane's depression (via Daily Mail).
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.
She filed for divorce from Eric Dane in 2018
After 14 years of marriage to Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart filed for divorce in February 2018, citing irreconcilable differences. "We will continue our friendship and work as a team to co-parent our two beautiful girls as they are the most important thing in the world to us," the couple said in a joint statement to E! News. The same day Gayheart filed for divorce, she posted a picture on Instagram of herself holding her daughters, writing, "Holding onto my girls tight and loving them hard today. So many broken hearts and shattered dreams."
In 2019, the couple were issued a warning that their case could be dismissed if they did not finalize the divorce in time. Both Gayheart and Dane have spoken about their successful co-parenting strategy many times, and it seems the former couple have managed to remain on good terms throughout. They were even spotted on a family vacation together in France in 2022.
Rebecca Gayheart appeared in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2019
It looks like Rebecca Gayheart is trying to rebuild her acting career. In 2019, she appeared in Quentin Tarantino's film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," playing Billie Booth, the wife of Brad Pitt's character Cliff Booth. The fate of her character is a source of major debate among viewers: Did Cliff actually murder his wife on a boat? Gayheart spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the film's biggest mystery. "Obviously, we have an answer to that, but I don't want to spoil it," she said. "I think the beauty of that question is that it's a question that lingers and it colors how you feel about Cliff and the whole movie because is he the good guy that you think he is or isn't he? And that was intentional."
Is there a more iconic way to return to acting than to work with the likes of Pitt, Tarantino, Margot Robbie, and Sydney Sweeney? Gayheart doesn't seem to think so, calling the experience "one for the books." As if those big Hollywood names weren't enough to convince her to take the part, the fact that her character shares the same name as her daughter surely would have been. "When I read the script, I told my daughter that the character is named Billie. And she was like, 'Mama, you have to do it!'" she told EW.
She was spotted holding hands with Eric Dane in 2023
Could Rebecca Gayheart and her estranged husband Eric Dane be getting back together? It certainly looks like it, after the duo were spotted holding hands in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico in January 2023. One photo shows Gayheart leading Dane off a yacht. Another shows the two walking hand in hand. They wouldn't be the first Hollywood exes to rekindle their relationship after years apart (we're looking at you, J. Lo and Ben Affleck).
The couple first sparked reconciliation rumors after Gayheart shared pictures on Instagram of her and Dane on vacation with their daughters in 2022. Several fans commented on the post, questioning whether they were back together. Of course, it's no secret that the duo are successful at co-parenting and often vacation with their daughters. However, this is the first time we've seen them act as anything more than friendly co-parents. Also important to note is that their divorce was never finalized, so technically, they're still married.