Janell Shirtcliff Shares Intimate Tribute and Photos After Eric Dane’s Death
Days after Eric Dane’s death at age 53 following a battle with ALS, girlfriend Janell Shirtcliff shared a glimpse inside their apparent romance by posting several candid images and clips on social media — a private snapshot that matters because it frames the late actor’s final weeks through the eyes of someone close to him.
Janell Shirtcliff’s Instagram posts: what she shared
In a series of Instagram Story posts on Feb. 21, Janell Shirtcliff highlighted moments she and Eric Dane captured together. The posts included a black-and-white photo of Eric smiling while getting a tattoo on his left arm, a shot of him posing in a white T-shirt and a tan cowboy hat beside a horse, and a number of affectionate, candid images.
Intimate moments and family glimpses
The photographer — who has captured portraits of stars like Post Malone, Jenna Ortega and Dua Lipa — posted PDA moments with Eric, including an image where he plants 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. Janell’s posts also showed a touching moment between Eric and one of her children: the youngster held up a camera and directed an impromptu photo shoot with the Euphoria star, instructing Eric to look over at mom and to smile.
Where the posts fall in the timeline
Janell’s posts arrived days after Eric Dane’s death on Feb. 19. The posts themselves appeared on Feb. 21, offering a near-term, personal window into their relationship following his passing. The couple had seemingly debuted their romance in June, which came two months after he shared his ALS diagnosis. At that June appearance they arrived together at the Los Angeles premiere of his crime drama Countdown, walking the red carpet hand-in-hand and sharing a laugh.
Relationship status and family context
Despite the apparent courtship with Janell, Eric Dane remained legally married to estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart. The couple shared daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14. They had separated in 2017, and the split did not erase public expressions of regard: in his final interview with Brad Falchuck for the Feb. 20 episode of Famous Last Words, Eric said he would never have fallen in love with another woman as deeply as he fell in love with Rebecca, called her the mother of his children, and described the weight of that connection as organic and fortuitous.
Public outreach and prior developments
A news outlet reached out to their representatives at the time the relationship became public but did not hear back. Earlier in their marriage timeline, Eric said their courtship began simply — recounting that it started with an invitation to go out and, within ten months, they were married. Less than one year after they began dating, the couple exchanged vows in Las Vegas.
Health, career moves and the split
Eric had previously announced he was leaving the drama The Last Ship due to a battle with depression; after that announcement, Rebecca Gayheart used social media to show support for him. When she later filed for divorce, Gayheart cited irreconcilable differences and sought spousal support plus joint legal and physical custody of their daughters Billie and Georgia. She also posted nostalgic captions referencing their early days together, writing at one point about meeting her then-partner and calling him her "Monday man crush" in a throwback caption.
Janell Shirtcliff’s posts provide an intimate, recent view into the relationship that formed in the months after Eric Dane’s ALS diagnosis and offer family moments that will likely be revisited as more information and context emerge. Details may continue to evolve.
