Janell Shirtcliff Shares Intimate Photos as Tributes Pour in for Eric Dane

janell shirtcliff posted a series of Instagram Story tributes after Eric Dane’s death, offering candid photos and moments from their apparent romance while public condolences and messages of love followed.

Janell Shirtcliff posts candid images from their time together

In Instagram Story posts on Feb. 21, janell shirtcliff highlighted black-and-white and color snapshots of Eric Dane, including a black-and-white photo of him smiling while getting a tattoo on his left arm and a picture of him in a white T-shirt and tan cowboy hat beside a horse. She also shared PDA shots: one where Dane planted a kiss on the side of her head as they posed on a set of stairs and a selfie of him leaning down toward her shoulder.

A child’s moment on camera and a romance first seen in June

Janell’s posts included a clip showing Dane with one of her children directing an impromptu photo shoot; the youngster held up a camera and told Dane, “I want you to look over there at mom, ” and then instructed him to “smile. ” The pair seemingly debuted their romance in June, two months after Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis, and they arrived together at the Los Angeles premiere of his Prime Video crime drama Countdown, walking the red carpet hand in hand and laughing.

Family statement and the timeline of Dane’s illness

Eric Dane died Feb. 19 at age 53 following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A family statement said, “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. ” The message added, “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. ”

Friends and his estranged wife respond

Kimberly Van Der Beek took to social media on Saturday to post, “RIP Eric Dane. We love you, ” resharing a photo of her and her husband with Dane and his wife Rebecca Gayheart at a red carpet event. Kimberly wrote, “We will miss our guys laughing at Christmas parties together. ” Gayheart reposted Kimberly’s story to her own and added, “So much love for you. ”

Advocacy, prior statements and personal history

The family’s message said Dane became “a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight, ” and that “Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. ” Dane had publicly shared his ALS diagnosis in April 2025. In his final interview for the Feb. 20 episode of Famous Last Words, he said, “I will never, by the time anybody sees this, would have ever fallen in love with another woman as deeply as I fell in love with Rebecca. ”

Longer relationship background and legal matters

Despite his apparent courtship with Janell, Dane remained legally married to estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart. They share daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14. The couple separated in 2017 but remained connected publicly: after Dane announced he was leaving the TNT drama The Last Ship because of his battle with depression, Gayheart posted a throwback photo captioned, “Way back when I met my Monday man crush. ” When she filed for divorce, Gayheart cited “irreconcilable differences” and sought spousal support as well as joint legal and physical custody of Billie and Georgia.

Earlier in their relationship, Dane described how it began with a simple invitation — "You wanna go out?" — and that ten months later they were married in Las Vegas, less than a year after they started dating.

Other tributes and donations noted

Alongside social-media tributes, donations were noted in coverage: $25, 000 from Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, and a recurring monthly payment of $2, 500 from actress Zoe Saldaña. The actor’s family asked for privacy as they navigate this time.

A post with the headline about James Van Der Beek’s wife paying homage to Eric Dane appeared first on another publication. A separate news outlet reached out for comment about Dane’s relationship with Janell at the time but did not receive a response.

What happens next: family representatives said they are maintaining privacy while memorial plans and any public events have not been detailed in the provided information.