Back in April, Eric Dane announced that he had been diagnosed with ALS, a devastating degenerative disease. People responded with waves of sympathy for Dane and his family. He’s been married to Rebecca Gayheart since October 2004 and they have two teenage daughters, Billie and Georgia. Rebecca and Eric have a long history of marriage problems, and Rebecca even filed for divorce at one point, but she actually filed to dismiss the divorce in March of this year. Rebecca was widely cited as his wife when his ALS diagnosis came out, and the vibe was definitely “we’re going to face this as a family.”
Well, last week, Dane walked the carpet for the premiere of his new Prime series, Countdown (the photos in this post). His date was not his wife. His date was Janell Shirtcliff, a director. For some reason, Eric Dane decided to do a hard-launch of his girlfriend/side-chick! What’s even worse is that it turns out that Shirtcliff isn’t his only girlfriend, at least according to his other girlfriend.
Eric Dane’s alleged girlfriend, Priya Jain, was “blindsided” by his red carpet debut with Janell Shirtcliff, Page Six has exclusively learned.
“They never broke up,” a source told us Thursday. The actor, 52, brought Shirtcliff to Wednesday’s Los Angeles premiere of his new series, “Countdown,” with a source claiming to “Entertainment Tonight” that “the two have been in an on-and-off relationship for over three years and care deeply for each other.”
However, we’re told it was the first time Jain, 27, had ever heard of the director, 41. Our source said Jain, who has been photographed with Dane multiple times, met him last summer and that they became “exclusive” in November 2024 — right before he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
According to our source, Jain was “devastated by the diagnosis” but stood by the “Grey’s Anatomy” alum’s side. Interestingly, ET’s source claimed that “Eric asked Janell to be there for him during this time, and she wanted to show up for him.”
We’re told that since Jain and Dane met, she has spent almost every night at his house, where she has tons of clothes. Our source added that the actress has even spent time with Dane’s kids — daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13 — whom he shares with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart. Gayheart, 53, recently clarified that she and her on-again, off-again husband are “staying a family” and remain the “best of friends.”
How in the world is Eric Dane maintaining such a messy personal life at this moment?? He’s lost function in one arm and yet he has two girlfriends and a whole-ass wife, all at the same time? Now, I do wonder if he actually split with Priya Jain and she’s just not acknowledging it?
Here are photos of Dane with Jain from April:
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Countdown’ at Harmony Gold Featuring: Eric Dane Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 18 Jun 2025 Credit: Ryan Hartford/INSTARimages.com
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- Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Countdown’ at Harmony Gold Featuring: Eric Dane Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 18 Jun 2025 Credit: Ryan Hartford/INSTARimages.com
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- Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Countdown’ at Harmony Gold Featuring: Eric Dane, Janell Shirtcliff Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 18 Jun 2025 Credit: Carla Van Wagoner/Future Image/Cover Images **NOT FOR PUBLICATION IN GERMANY**
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- Beverly Hills, CA – Eric Dane was seen walking in Beverly Hills with girlfriend Priya Jain, appearing relaxed and engaged in conversation. This marks one of his first public outings since revealing his ALS diagnosis on April 10, 2025. Pictured: Eric Dane BACKGRID USA 30 APRIL 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Khrome / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Beverly Hills, CA – Eric Dane was seen walking in Beverly Hills with girlfriend Priya Jain, appearing relaxed and engaged in conversation. This marks one of his first public outings since revealing his ALS diagnosis on April 10, 2025. Pictured: Eric Dane BACKGRID USA 30 APRIL 2025 BYLINE MUST READ: Khrome / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Maybe Eric is doing the guy thing where instead of just initiating the breakup, he does something really sh*tty until his girlfriend breaks up with him.
There are likely very practical reasons for Rebecca to remain as his wife despite the fact that they have not been a couple for some time. I don’t know about the 2 girlfriends part of the equation. Just hard for me to conjure up much discontent about the girlfriend situation knowing the future he faces. A beloved local man battled ALS and survived far longer than most, but there is no discounting that it is a horrible journey to take.
ALS is a terrible disease. I predict that only Rebecca sticks by him for the long haul.
Right. Once the disease progresses to speech problems, chewing, swallowing, breathing difficulties, girlfriends will no longer be in the picture. Condition will go downhill quickly at this point. Terrible. Hoping his wife and children will be a comfort to him.
I never felt Rebecca and Eric reconciled. I think dropping the divorce. Was more a financial decision. She and the kids would fare better in his estate as his legal wife. That she will be able to make financial and medical decisions when the time comes.
Why spend money on a divorce lawyer. When that money could go to his future estate.
There is no cure for ALS. His time on this mortal coil is limited now. But medications will help manage and slow down symptoms for awhile.
It’s just a shame he is choosing his remaining time on earth. Dating, than focusing on his children and family.
Is his Grey’s money that long that he can manage two girlfriends and a wife, plus two daughters? Sounds expensive to me.
139 episodes and residuals. I think he is doing OK. He’s been consistently a working actor since leaving Grey’s in 2021.
I don’t think he can afford a harem though lol.
This is exactly it. They probably haven’t been a couple in years but for her and the kids it’s better financially to stay a family unit. And he will eventually need someone to make medical decisions with/for him so if he trusts her better legally if she stays his wife
I figured the same. He trusts her to make medical decisions for him if needed.
Gosh Priya looks so young. Girl, run, you can do better than being involved in some middle-aged shenanigans!!
Glad to see Eric looking well though.
I wish him well. I am not sure, but I can remember that as a married couple Eric and Rebecca had an open relationship where there was “menage a trois” involved. Maybe Rebecca did it to please him as a lot of women. I hope I get the couple right.
Yeah there was a really dumb video where they were all as high af, most boring threesome ever. I never assumed they were back together
Having a horrible disease doesn’t mean he is or was a good person before and while he is dealing with it. Hasn’t he always been really messy? Being ill doesn’t guarantee decent behaviour.
Sometimes families and relationships are complicated. My late MIL had children with two ex-husbands and all the kids and husbands were at every family function and honestly, it was really nice that they all saw themselves as one big family. When she was dying of brain cancer they both were there to help their respective kids care for her. Since she’s passed we still have both dads at family holidays and even have joint Father’s Day things. Oddly enough, it was her late in life third ex-husband who had a hard time with the joint family situation so he didn’t last very long. Just because you aren’t romantically connected to your partner anymore doesn’t mean you necessarily stop being family.
I went to a friend’s wedding where her parents had both been married 3-5 times and everyone stayed connected even as new partners and families were created. She had something like 20 full, half and step siblings (even former step siblings remained) and they all lined the aisle while she walked down it (she was late 30s, second wedding). I’m sure there were complicated situations, but everyone really seemed to enjoy each other. I hope that’s what’s happening here, because otherwise what a messy bitch. I wish his family well.
Didn’t he just do an interview in tears talking about when it’s tough he calls Rebecca? What in the messy family is going on?
My thought is it is more practical to stay legally married for, as another poster noted, finances, insurance and, when the time comes, medical assistance and decisions. I’d guess they realized their marriage had settled into more a strong friendship, when he was diagnosed opted not to divorce knowing what is to come, but also agreed it was fine to date others. And yes, none of the current/future girlfriends are likely to stick around and offer support when his ALS really progresses.
And it’s a brutal disease…one of my neighbors had it and as difficult as it was for his wife and family, it was a blessing in a way it was less than a year from his diagnosis to when he passed.
Priya is half his age and if they’ve had an on-and-off relationship (due to who knows what) he may have just decided that he needs to date someone older who can provide a little more stability as he navigates his health issues.
I wish all of them the best. Messy as hell, yes.
He and Rebecca are probably friends and it’s in their financial interests to be together with their girls when things go downhill.
He’s said he’s lost control over his right arm and is losing feeling in his left hand. He doesn’t make the decisions most of us would, but he’s got a small window of time to keep living his messy life and I guess that brings him some pleasure.