Rebecca Gayheart Recalls ‘Powerful Moment’ When Eric Dane Heard His Voice Via AI Before His Death

Late actor Eric Dane was working with AI firm ElevenLabs on a voice restoration project before his death. The Grey’s Anatomy alum was “losing his voice” towards the end of his battle with ALS, his widow Rebecca Gayheart told Variety.

“[He] was really excited about it,” Gayheart said in an interview published on Wednesday, March 11. “It was becoming more difficult for him to communicate each and every day. So it became sort of urgent.”

According to the outlet, the project used “a synthetic voice” created using past recordings from the actor’s voice.

“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,” Gayheart explained. “We played it, and Eric became visibly emotional. And when I heard it, I cried. I think everyone in the room did.”

Dane — who shared daughter Billie, 16, and Georgia, 11, with Gayheart — tragically lost his battle with ALS on February 19, just 10 months after revealing his diagnosis publicly.

“I just want to thank everybody for being so kind to us during the last couple of years,” Gayheart told Variety. “It’s been challenging and meaningful, and people are kind.”

“I’m having trouble receiving all of the support and love coming at me from every which way because of Eric and the [entertainment] community that’s so generous with their time,” she continued. “They’ve been holding me and the girls up the last two weeks, and I don’t think they’re going anywhere. I think they’re in it for the long haul. ”