Rebecca Gayheart: Life, Accident, and Relationship with Eric Dane

Before she was known as the Noxzema Girl, Rebecca Gayheart was a teen model from Hazard, Kentucky — but her life took turns that few expected. On June 13, 2001, she struck and killed a 9-year-old boy with her car, a tragedy that would follow her for decades. Later came a high-profile marriage to actor Eric Dane, a public divorce, and finally a quiet return to the spotlight after his death from ALS in 2026. This article traces those twists and what Gayheart has said about them.

Full name: Rebecca Gayheart ·
Born: August 12, 1971 (Hazard, Kentucky) ·
Occupation: Actress and model ·
Known for: Noxzema commercials, Urban Legend, Jawbreaker ·
Spouse: Eric Dane (2004–2018) ·
Children: 2

Here is a quick reference of key facts about Rebecca Gayheart.

What is Rebecca Gayheart famous for?

The Noxzema Girl and early modeling career

• Gayheart launched her public profile as the “Noxzema Girl” in television commercials during the 1990s (Wikipedia (user-edited encyclopedia))
• She studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute before landing film roles

Film and television roles

• In 1998 she starred in the horror film Urban Legend, playing a college student investigating a campus killer
• The following year she appeared in the cult classic Jawbreaker as a high-school queen bee

What happened between Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane?

Marriage, separation and infidelity

• Gayheart married actor Eric Dane in 2004
• In 2018 the couple divorced after Dane’s widely reported infidelity
• According to an Access Hollywood recap, the pair had been separated for eight years before Dane’s death (YouTube / Access Hollywood (news segment))

What did Rebecca Gayheart say about Eric Dane’s death?

Breaking her silence

• After Dane died on February 19, 2026, a family statement posted to Instagram described him as “surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife Rebecca, and his two daughters Billie and Georgia” (Instagram (family statement))
• Gayheart told PEOPLE that she had taught her daughters “we show up for people no matter what” while Dane was battling ALS (PEOPLE (celebrity news outlet))
• She added, “He is our family,” referring to Dane despite their divorce

Focus on children

• The family statement emphasized that Billie and Georgia were “the center of his world” (Instagram (family statement))
• Gayheart has largely stayed out of the public eye since the divorce, dedicating herself to raising her daughters

What was the Rebecca Gayheart accident?

Details of the 2001 accident

• On June 13, 2001, Gayheart struck nine-year-old Jorge Cruz Jr. with her car in Los Angeles
• The boy died of his injuries on June 14
• Gayheart paid Cruz’s family $10,000 for funeral expenses

Legal consequences and aftermath

• On November 27, 2001, she pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter
• She was sentenced to three years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service
• In her only public statement on the incident, Gayheart said, “The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever” (Wikipedia (user-edited encyclopedia))

What is Rebecca Gayheart’s net worth?

Acting income and endorsements

• Gayheart earned income from her Noxzema contract, film roles in Urban Legend and Jawbreaker, and guest TV appearances
• Her net worth is estimated at roughly $6 million, though exact figures are unverified

Post-divorce financial situation

• After divorcing Dane in 2018, Gayheart has not returned to regular acting work
• She reportedly lives a private life focused on her children, with no known new income from film or television projects

Timeline of key events

• 1971 – Born in Hazard, Kentucky
• 1980s – Began modeling; becomes the Noxzema Girl
• 1998 – Stars in Urban Legend
• 1999 – Appears in Jawbreaker
• 2001-06-13 – Fatal car accident
• 2001-11-27 – Pleads no contest to vehicular manslaughter
• 2004 – Marries Eric Dane
• 2010–2011 – Birth of two daughters (PEOPLE (celebrity news outlet))
• 2018 – Divorce from Dane
• 2026-02-19 – Eric Dane dies of ALS (San Francisco Chronicle (regional newspaper))

Clarity check: what’s confirmed and what’s not

What Gayheart and others have said

“The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever.”

Rebecca Gayheart, in her only public statement on the 2001 accident

“We show up for people no matter what.”

Rebecca Gayheart, on teaching her daughters about family amid Eric Dane’s ALS diagnosis (PEOPLE (celebrity news outlet))

“He is our family.”

Rebecca Gayheart, referring to Eric Dane after his death

“[Dane] was surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife Rebecca, and his two daughters Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”

Family statement via Instagram (Instagram (family statement))

Summary

Rebecca Gayheart’s story is one of early fame, private tragedy, and a public reckoning that never fully receded. She rose as a fresh-faced ad icon, then faced manslaughter charges, a star-crossed marriage, and finally the loss of her ex-husband to ALS. For anyone following celebrity comebacks, the question is not whether Gayheart will act again — it’s whether she will ever step back into the spotlight, or whether her daughters’ privacy will keep her out of it forever.

For a deeper look at her personal life, including the divorce and Eric Dane’s passing, you can read more on Rebecca Gayhearts divorce and Eric Danes death.

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