Rebecca Gayheart shares Eric Dane's reaction to hearing an AI recreation of his voice weeks before he died.
Key Points
Dane "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," Gayheart said.
The actor died in February.
Rebecca GayheartandEric Daneparticipated in a powerful project before Dane's death.
The actor, who died in February at 53 after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), participated in a voice restoration project weeks before his death. The project, which was overseen bythe AI firm ElevenLabs, was meant to help him communicate as he lost his voice. By restoring his voice, Dane was also able to provide his daughters Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14, with a piece of him after he died.
Dane's widow Gayheart toldVarietythat the lateGrey's Anatomystar "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."
Dane had the opportunity to hear the AI recreation of his voice before he died, which used recordings he provided to the lab. Using the recordings, the technology focuses on the nuances of someone's speaking voice to recreate the way they sound.
"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," Gayheart revealed of the result. "And when I heard it, I cried. I think everyone in the room did."
When they played the recording for their teenage daughters, Gayheart said her daughters were "thrilled." "They were like, that's not a recording. That's your voice. That's you. So it was spot on. He just had this way of speaking, and they captured it so beautifully."
Gayheart, who married Dane in 2004, said that her family was "really struggling" as Dane lost his voice. "Knowing we had that in our back pocket, just felt really good. I'm sad, and I know Eric is too, that we didn't ever get to really use it. But what I do know is that he would want as many people as possible to have access" to the technology.
Advertisement
ElevenLabs offers this powerful service for free to people experiencing terminal neurological diseases that impact the ability to speak. At this year's SXSW festival, ElevenLabs and Gayheart will honor Dane's legacy with a panel titled"Hello Again: Restoring Voices with AI."
Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.
"He wanted to advocate for love and for the movement [around ALS] and so I'm there to do this for him," Gayheart added of Dane. "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."
Dane died on Feb. 19 at 53 years old, less than a year after herevealed his diagnosis in April 2025.
"With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,"a statement shared with PEOPLE read.
"Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he's received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time."
Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane in 2018, but filed to have the divorce dismissed in 2025, weeks before he announced his diagnosis.
Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly