Eric Dane made his first red carpet appearance on Wednesday since announcing his ALS diagnosis, but it wasn’t just him who was making a debut.
The Euphoria star, 52, was joined by his girlfriend, Janell Shirtcliff, for their first official outing as a couple at the season one premiere of his new Amazon Prime series, Countdown.
Red carpet debut
Eric was all smiles as he posed for photos with his filmmaker girlfriend, and the couple didn’t hide their affection for each other.
They were pictured holding hands and gazing adoringly at each other as they posed for photos at the event in Los Angeles.
According to reports, Eric and Janell have been in an on-and-off relationship for years. Their red carpet debut comes after they were photographed on a date night at the Chateau Marmont on Tuesday.
Divorce
Eric’s updated relationship status comes three months after his estranged wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, withdrew her divorce petition.
She filed divorce papers in 2018 after 14 years of marriage, and she and Eric have been separated ever since, co-parenting their two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13.
© Variety via Getty ImagesSharing a statement with USA Today at the time, the couple said: “We will continue our friendship and work as a team to co-parent our two beautiful girls as they are the most important thing in the world to us.”
Their decision to stay married yet separated sparked some confusion, with Rebecca later clarifying their relationship.
© Variety via Getty Images“We are really close. We are great co-parents,” she told E! News. “We really figured out the formula to staying a family and I think our kids are benefiting greatly from it, and we are as well.”
Despite their split, Rebecca sees their marriage as a “huge success”. She added: “I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure.
“We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years, and we had two beautiful kids. So I think that’s a successful relationship, and that’s how we look at it.”
© Getty ImagesHer decision to dismiss the divorce in March came just before Eric revealed he has been diagnosed with ALS, a rare, progressive neurological disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, making it harder for people to move, talk, eat, and eventually breathe.
Eric shared his diagnosis in April, explaining that he’d been navigating the early stages of ALS with the quiet support of his loved ones.
“I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” Eric told People
© Getty Images“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
In an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America on Monday, Eric admitted his diagnosis has left him “very” angry.
“I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they’re very young,” Eric, whose dad died by suicide when he was seven, explained.
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