Eric Dane's former girlfriend donates to fundraiser after making peace with actor before his death

Another of Eric Dane's former girlfriends has paid tribute to the actor, donating money to a GoFundMe for his daughters.

Actress Priya Jain, 28, who was reportedly dating the actor around the time he announced he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in April 2025, donated $14,000 to the fund, which was set up by his friends following his death on February 19.

It comes days after another of his former girlfriends, Janell Shirtcliff, left a touching tribute on her Instagram, featuring numerous photos of herself with Dane, who died aged 53.

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Shirtcliff's post came as a surprise to many fans, who did not realise the actor was no longer in a romantic relationship with his wife Rebecca Gayheart, who he spoke about before he died and was mentioned in the statement announcing his death.

He and Gayheart married in 2004, and were parents to two daughters, Billie, now 15, and Georgia, 13, but separated in 2018.

The actress later filed for divorce but withdrew the petition after his diagnosis.

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Meanwhile, Jain and Shirtcliff reportedly dated the actor around the same time.

When the actor and Shirtcliff were photographed on a red carpet in June 2025, two months after he revealed he had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), as it is known in the US, Jain was reportedly blindsided by the outing amid claims she too had been dating the actor and was not aware they had broken up.

They were photographed a number of times out and about in LA in early 2025, incuding May – just weeks before the red carpet appearance.

At the time, it was reported he had been in an on-again, off-again relationship with Shirtcliff, a photographer and director, for up to three years prior to their red carpet outing.

Neither Jain nor Shirtcliff, a photographer and director, were mentioned in the statement announcing Dane's death at 53.

"With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS," the statement said.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the centre of his world.

"Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight."

Since his death, it has been reported Jain and Dane reconnected as friends as he battled the disease that claimed his life.

"In the months leading up to Eric's passing, Priya and Eric reconnected their relationship as friends," a source told Us Weekly.

The same source said Jain had been surprised by the speed in which the disease claimed Dane's life.

"Priya didn't think it would happen this quickly," the source said.

"She has a lot of love for his family, [and] knows how hard this is for his daughters."

Her donation has helped bring the total so far raised to $464,000.

Meanwhile, another of Dane's former Grey's Anatomy co-stars Katherine Heigl finally broke her silence on his death this week, after saying she had debated making a statement for days.

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"I have never been comfortable grieving publicly. I share my tears, my stories and my memories with those I'm closest to and more times than not I share them only with the heavens alone," she wrote on her Facebook account.

"But that silence can often look like a lack of care, which I could not abide here.

"Rebecca, Billie, Georgia… There is so little, if in fact anything, one can say about a tragic loss like yours.

"All the 'I'm sorries' and 'my prayers are with you' ring a bit hollow in the midst of so much pain and grief.

"So I will say the only thing that has ever brought me peace when I've lost someone I love.

"It is Robert Frost's poem Nothing Gold Can Stay, of which I have tattooed on my body in my parent's handwriting so I will never forget that the moment of gold was worth it.

"Natures first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; but only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, so Dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay.

"I will never forget Eric's gold and I will forever be grateful I got to bask in it for even a brief moment in time.

"Thank you for sharing him with us.

"God Speed my old friend… here's to your next great adventure."

It comes as former co-stars including Kate Walsh and Patrick Demspey paid tribute to the actor, who recorded his final words to his daughters in a video message he filmed before his death.

The almost five-minute long message released by Netflix on Saturday ended with the words, "Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words."

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