Janell Shirtcliff Shares Intimate Tribute Days After Eric Dane’s Death

Photographer janell shirtcliff posted a string of candid photos and short clips on Feb. 21, days after actor Eric Dane died at age 53 following a battle with ALS. The images and footage offer a private window into moments the couple shared and underscore the public’s renewed attention to Dane’s final weeks.

Janell Shirtcliff’s Instagram Story Tribute

On Feb. 21, janell shirtcliff used Instagram Story posts to share several scenes from her relationship with Dane. Among the images was a black-and-white photograph of Dane smiling while getting a tattoo on his left arm and a color shot of him wearing a white T-shirt and a tan cowboy hat beside a horse. The set also included PDA moments: one photo captured Dane planting a kiss on the side of her head as they posed on a flight of stairs, and another was a selfie showing him leaning toward her shoulder.

Eric Dane’s Death on Feb. 19 at Age 53

Dane died Feb. 19 at age 53 after battling ALS, also known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The posts came two days later and were presented as a selection of candid memories, released publicly in the days immediately following his death.

Child’s Direction and On-Camera Moments

Janell’s story also featured an affectionate clip showing Dane with one of her children. The youngster held a camera and directed a brief, impromptu photoshoot, telling Dane, "I want you to look over there at mom, " and then instructing him to "smile. " The footage framed a quieter domestic side of Dane, highlighting a bond with a child in Janell’s household.

Romance Debut in June and ALS Diagnosis Timeline

Dane and Shirtcliff seemingly made their public debut as a couple in June, which was two months after Dane had shared his ALS diagnosis. The pair arrived together at the Los Angeles premiere of Dane’s Prime Video crime drama Countdown, walking the red carpet hand-in-hand and sharing a laugh as they posed. Representatives were contacted for comment about the relationship at that time but did not respond.

Estranged Marriage to Rebecca Gayheart and Their Children

Dane remained legally married to estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart despite his apparent courtship with Shirtcliff. Gayheart and Dane share two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14. The couple separated in 2017. When Gayheart filed for divorce, she cited "irreconcilable differences" and sought spousal support along with joint legal and physical custody of Billie and Georgia.

Final Interview and Reflections with Brad Falchuck

In his final interview, recorded for the Feb. 20 episode of Famous Last Words, Dane spoke with Brad Falchuck and reflected on his relationship with Gayheart. 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. " The remark underscored the continued esteem he expressed for Gayheart even after their separation.

Earlier Relationship Origins and Career Moments

Dane and Gayheart have not publicly detailed precisely how they first met; Dane characterized the story as "probably one of the least interesting stories in the world, " saying it went, "'You wanna go out?' 'Yeah, sure. ' Ten months later, we were married. " The couple wed less than a year after they began dating, exchanging vows in Las Vegas. Earlier in his career, Dane left the TNT drama The Last Ship citing a battle with depression; at that time Gayheart posted to Instagram to show support for him.

What makes this notable is the way the public images and private remarks intersect: posts shared by janell shirtcliff in the immediate aftermath of Dane’s death add vivid, domestic details to a public narrative that has included medical disclosure, a high-profile career, and an ongoing divorce filing. The sequence — his ALS announcement, the public appearance with Shirtcliff in June, and the social-media tribute after his Feb. 19 death — creates a clear timeline that has shaped public reaction.

The photographs and clips Janell released serve both as a personal memorial and as a record of moments that involved multiple people and decisions: the family dynamics with Billie and Georgia, the legal separation and divorce actions initiated by Gayheart, Dane’s career choices tied to health, and the public debut of a new relationship in a pandemic-era entertainment landscape. All of those elements now converge around the images she made available to the public days after his passing.