5 actresses who are widows

Rebecca Gayheart

Rebecca Gayheart is one of several actresses who knows the tragedy of losing a spouse.

The Jawbreaker actress became a widow when her husband of more than 20 years, Eric Dane, died on February 19, 2026. According to his death certificate, the Grey's Anatomy and Euphoria star died from respiratory failure, with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) listed as an underlying factor. 

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world," Dane's family said in a statement announcing his death, which came less than a year after he publicly shared his diagnosis.

Dane and Gayheart were technically separated when he died. The duo filed for divorce back in 2018 but officially filed to dismiss the divorce in March 2025. The following month, she told E! News that they were still "really close" and "best friends" and that they'd "figured out the formula to staying a family."

Gayheart isn't the only actress navigating the loss of a spouse. Keep reading to find out which other actresses have lost their partners… 

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Susan Lucci

Susan Lucci's husband, Helmut Huber, died in March 2022, one month after he suffered a stroke. He was hospitalized and underwent emergency treatment but never regained consciousness after being placed in a medically induced coma. 

Lucci struggled to adjust to life without him. Speaking to Fox News Digital, the All My Children actress said she had a difficult time finding her footing.

"There's talk of hope, and the only thing I hoped for was that he would come walking back through the door," she said. "And of course, that couldn't happen — and it didn't happen. But I didn't know if I could navigate the world without him. I didn't know if I could even stand up without him or put one foot in front of the other."

Jean Smart

In March 2021 — just as Jean Smart was completing the first season of Hacks — she unexpectedly lost her husband of 35 years, Richard Gilliland, due to a cardiovascular condition.

Smart described her husband's death as "the worst" during an appearance on Who's Talking to Chris Wallace. "It was such a shock. It was so unexpected," she recalled. 

She later told People that his death "dramatically" changed how she approaches her own health.

"It just made more sense for me to get smarter about my health decisions," the Emmy-winning actress said. "I'm the one running the show now, completely on my own, and if something happens to me, what happens to my kids?"

She noted that her two children "take very good care" of her, adding of her oldest son, "He's been helping me a lot since we lost his dad, and so it's been very nice to have him around. I don't know how single working mothers do it. I really truly don't!"

Lynda Carter

In February 2021, Lynda Carter's husband, Robert A. Altman, died from complications following a medical procedure. 

"Robert is the love of my life and he always will be," the Wonder Woman actress wrote on social media at the time. "Our 37 years of marriage were an extraordinary gift. We shared the passion I hope everyone is lucky enough to experience in their lifetime. We protected each other and were each other's champions always."

"We have always been grateful for the two beautiful lives we created together: our children, Jessica and James. They are the lights of my life, and were the greatest joy of Robert's. I see so much of Robert in them, and I know he lives on through them," she continued.

On the third anniversary of his death, Carter told People that the pain of losing him will never go away. "I think of him every day. There's so much of my day to day where I find myself thinking, 'Oh, Robert will know.' Or if I'm on a flight, I still expect him to text to ask, 'Did you land safely? Was everything alright?'" she said.

Amy Yasbeck

In 1990, Amy Yasbeck met John Ritter at a table read for Problem Child at director Dennis Dugan's home. The duo quickly bonded over their shared love of the arts and married nine years later.

However, in September 2003, Ritter suddenly fell ill on the set of 8 Simple Rules. He was taken to the hospital and initially treated for a heart attack before doctors discovered he had suffered an undetected aortic dissection. He died later that day. 

After Ritter's death, his family filed a negligence lawsuit against the hospital. Speaking on the Today show in 2008, Yasbeck said she and her family had also pursued a separate wrongful death case against two doctors — one involved in Ritter's treatment the night he died and another who reviewed the results of a body scan he had in 2001. 

While several defendants settled for about $14 million, a jury later cleared the two doctors who went to trial. 

Ritter's widow — who starred on Wings and also appeared in The Mask, Pretty Woman and Robin Hood: Men in Tights — said she believes her husband would still be alive if he had been properly diagnosed. "John didn't have a chance," she said. "He was never given that chance."