Rebecca Gayheart recalls final conversation with Eric Dane as actor used AI to restore voice

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Rebecca Gayheart has shared what the last few weeks with her husband, Eric Dane, were really like. As his ALS worsened and speaking became more difficult for him, they began using AI technology to help them communicate.

Dane, known to most people from ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and ‘Euphoria,’ died on February 19 at age 53. ALS, a disease that gradually takes away muscle control and speech, caused the complications that led to his death.

AI project aimed to restore Eric Dane's voice

Gayheart told Variety that in his final weeks, Dane was involved in a project by the AI company ElevenLabs designed to restore his voice.

Gayheart said he pursued the experimental technology not only to communicate in daily life, but also so he could leave a final message for their daughters, Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14.

She said one of Dane’s priorities was finding a way to keep communicating with his family as his voice deteriorated.

She said her husband "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."

Weeks before Dane's death, he was able to hear the version of his voice that the AI company had created, and Gayheart recalled how emotional it was for both of them to hear him speak flawlessly again.

Eric Dane’s reaction to new AI voice

Gayheart revealed that she and Dane played his newly created voice recording for their daughters a few days after receiving it.

"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," she continued. "And when I heard it, I cried. I think everyone in the room did."

The couple’s daughters, Billie and Georgia, were also present and were surprised by how closely the synthetic voice matched their father’s natural speech.

She said that Billie and Georgia "signed off on it, and we were thrilled to have it because we knew what was coming down the pike."

She described it as painful to watch someone known for his humor and storytelling gradually lose the ability to express himself.

"We were all really struggling with the voice loss that he was already experiencing," the actress admitted. "Knowing we had that in our back pocket just felt really good."

She said it could be essential for stars like Dane because "your voice is such a big part of your craft and you're a storyteller."