Rebecca Gayheart (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress and model. She began her career as a teen model in the 1980s and subsequently appeared in a student short film by
Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He directed the ''Rush Hour'' film series, ''The Family Man'', '' Red Dragon'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and ''Tower Heist''. He is also a producer of several films ...
, with whom she had an extensive relationship.
In the early 1990s, Gayheart signed a contract with
Noxzema
Noxzema ( ) is a brand of skin cleanser marketed by Unilever. Since 1914, it was sold in a small cobalt blue jar; but is now sold in a blue plastic jar. Noxzema contains camphor, menthol, phenol and eucalyptus, among other ingredients. Original ...
and became a spokesperson for the company. On television, she had a starring role on the series ''
Earth 2'' (1994–1995) and was a recurring guest star on ''
Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
'' (1995). She made her feature film debut in the comedy ''
Nothing to Lose'' (1997) and then had a lead role in the slasher film ''
Urban Legend
An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
'' (1998). She subsequently starred in the
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
film ''
Jawbreaker'' (1999), followed by supporting roles in the thriller ''
Shadow Hours
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, o ...
'' (2000) and the independent comedy ''
Harvard Man
''Harvard Man'' is a 2001 American crime comedy-drama thriller film written and directed by James Toback, and starring Adrian Grenier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joey Lauren Adams, Rebecca Gayheart, Ray Allen, and Eric Stoltz.
Plot
The story concer ...
'' (2001).
In June 2001, Gayheart fatally struck a young boy with her vehicle in Los Angeles, an event that was widely publicized, and was ultimately sentenced to
probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
and community service. She returned to acting several years later, appearing in recurring guest roles on the television series ''
Dead Like Me
''Dead Like Me'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for ...
'' (2003), ''
Nip/Tuck
''Nip/Tuck'' is an American medical drama television series created by Ryan Murphy that aired on FX in the United States from July 22, 2003, to March 3, 2010. The series, which also incorporates elements of crime drama, black comedy, family dra ...
'' (2004–2006), and ''
Vanished'' (2006). In 2005, Gayheart made her
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
debut in a production of ''
Steel Magnolias
''Steel Magnolias'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Academy Award winner Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts. The picture is a film adaptation ...
''. She returned to Broadway again in a 2008 production of ''
Boeing-Boeing'', opposite
Mark Rylance
Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurenc ...
and
Christine Baranski
Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' ...
. In 2019, Gayheart appeared in a minor supporting role in
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
's ''
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a ...
''.
Early life
Gayheart was born August 12, 1971 in
Hazard, Kentucky
Hazard is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in, and the county seat of, Perry County, Kentucky, Perry County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 5,263 at the 2020 Census.
History
Local landowner Elijah Combs, Elijah Comb ...
, the third of four children born to Floneva "Flo" Gayheart (
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Slone), who worked as a
Mary Kay
Mary Kay Inc. is an American privately owned multi-level marketing company. According to '' Direct Selling News'', Mary Kay was the sixth largest network marketing company in the world in 2018, with a wholesale volume of US$3.25 billion. independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a
miner
A miner is a person who extracts ore, coal, chalk, clay, or other minerals from the earth through mining. There are two senses in which the term is used. In its narrowest sense, a miner is someone who works at the rock face; cutting, blasting, ...
and coal-truck driver.
[Rebecca Gayheart Biography](_blank)
at FilmReference.com She has two sisters, Elizabeth and Rachel, and one brother, Curtis Wayne Gayheart.
[ She is of German, English, Scottish and Scots-Irish descent. Gayheart spent her early life in Pine Top, Kentucky. In her first year of high school, she starred in a stage play chronicling the life of ]Lizzie Borden
Lizzie Andrew Borden (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927) was an American woman tried and acquitted of the August 4, 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts. No one else was charged in the murders, and despite ost ...
, in which she played the titular Borden.[ ]
At age 15, Gayheart won a local modeling
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
contest,[ ] after which she relocated to New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. There, she completed her high school education at the Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School (PCS) is a not-for-profit, college preparatory school geared toward working and aspiring child actors and dancers in grades six through twelve. The school was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an academic ed ...
and went on to attend the actors' conservatory of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute
The Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute (originally the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute) is an acting school founded in 1969 by actor, director, and acting teacher Lee Strasberg. The Institute is located in Union Square on East 15th Street, a ...
.[ Meanwhile, Gayheart earned a living appearing in commercials for ]Campbell's
Campbell Soup Company, doing business as Campbell's, is an American processed food and snack company. The company is most closely associated with its flagship canned soup products; however, through mergers and acquisitions, it has grown to become ...
soup and Burger King
Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain store, chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based res ...
, and also modeled for J. C. Penney catalogues.[
]
Career
In her first film role, Gayheart appeared in Brett Ratner
Brett Ratner (born March 28, 1969) is an American film director and producer. He directed the ''Rush Hour'' film series, ''The Family Man'', '' Red Dragon'', '' X-Men: The Last Stand'', and ''Tower Heist''. He is also a producer of several films ...
's New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
short film ''Whatever Happened to Mason Reese?'' (1990) starring Mason Reese
Mason Reese is an American former child actor and restaurant entrepreneur who appeared in numerous television commercials in the 1970s, including Underwood Deviled Ham, Ivory Snow, Dunkin' Donuts, and Post Raisin Bran.
Early life and acting car ...
. She also appeared in the Ratner-directed music video '' Nuttin' But Love'' performed by Heavy D and the Boyz
Dwight Arrington MyersCuda, Heidi Sigmund Keeping it reel. ''Vibe'' ("born Dwight Arrington Myers")Samuels, Anita M. (January 12' 1996)Heavy D, the C.E.O. ''New York Times'' (May 24, 1967 – November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heav ...
.
Gayheart's break into the television industry was a series of television commercials for Noxzema
Noxzema ( ) is a brand of skin cleanser marketed by Unilever. Since 1914, it was sold in a small cobalt blue jar; but is now sold in a blue plastic jar. Noxzema contains camphor, menthol, phenol and eucalyptus, among other ingredients. Original ...
in the early 1990s, earning her the moniker "The Noxzema Girl".[ The commercials began airing in 1991 and brought her national recognition. In 1992, Gayheart was cast in her first major role on the soap opera '' Loving'' as Hannah Mayberry.][ In 1993 and 1994, she had a recurring role in the '']Vanishing Son
''Vanishing Son'' is an American action television series that was part of Universal Television's Action Pack. Starting as a series of four television films in 1994, the series debuted in syndication on January 16, 1995. ''Vanishing Son I'', ''V ...
'' action series as cellist Clair Rutledge, the love interest of Russell Wong
Russell Wong (; born March 1, 1963) is an American actor of film and television. He was one of the first actors of Chinese descent to hold a leading role in a primetime American television series, portraying Jian-Wa with Chi Muoi Lo portraying W ...
's main character, Jian-Wa Chang. In 1994 and 1995, Gayheart played Bess Martin in the science-fiction series '' Earth 2''.[ In 1995, she played Antonia Marchette, a recurring character in the series '']Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran fo ...
'', and Luke Perry
Coy Luther "Luke" Perry III (October 11, 1966 – March 4, 2019) was an American actor. He became a teen idol for playing Dylan McKay on the Fox television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' from 1990 to 1995, and again from 1998 to 2000. He ...
's character's love interest; the character was killed off after a 10-episode storyline.[ She was subsequently cast in her feature film debut in the comedy '' Nothing to Lose'' (1997) opposite ]Tim Robbins
Timothy Francis Robbins (born October 16, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for portraying Andy Dufresne in the film ''The Shawshank Redemption ''(1994), and has won an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards for his role ...
and Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald LawrenceStated in interview on ''Inside the Actors Studio'' (born April 16, 1965) is an American comedian and actor. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor. He got his start playin ...
, portraying a flower shop employee who nearly woos an advertising executive (Robbins).[ The same year, she had a minor role as a ]sorority
Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America.
Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...
sister in Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
's horror film ''Scream 2
''Scream 2'' is a 1997 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson. It stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jamie Kennedy, Laurie Metcalf, Jerry O'Connell, Elise Neal, Timot ...
'' (1997).
After completing ''Scream 2'', Gayheart was cast in a lead role in the slasher film
A slasher film is a genre of horror films involving a killer stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools like knife, chainsaw, scalpel, etc. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a ...
''Urban Legend
An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
'' (1998), in which she portrayed the best friend of a college student (Alicia Witt
Alicia Roanne Witt (born August 21, 1975) is an American actress, singer and pianist. She first came to fame as a child actress after being discovered by David Lynch, who cast her in '' Dune'' (1984) and ''Twin Peaks'' (1990). Witt had a critic ...
) who suspects their friends are being murdered according to urban legend
An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
s. The same year, she appeared onstage at Toronto's Canon Theatre
The Ed Mirvish Theatre, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, is a historic film and play theatre in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was initially known as the Pantages Theatre, then becam ...
in a production of ''The Last Night of Ballyhoo
''The Last Night of Ballyhoo'' is a play by Alfred Uhry that premiered in 1996 in Atlanta. The play is a comedy/drama, which is set in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 1939.
Plot
The play is set in the upper class German-Jewish community living in A ...
'', opposite Rhea Perlman
Rhea Jo Perlman (born March 31, 1948) is an American actress. She played head-waitress Carla Tortelli in the sitcom ''Cheers'' (1982–1993). Over the course of 11 seasons, Perlman was nominated for ten Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Act ...
and Perrey Reeves
Perrey Reeves (born ) is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her recurring role as Melissa Gold on the television series ''Entourage'' from 2004 to 2011 and Frank the Tank's wife in the 2003 comedy '' Old School''.
E ...
. In 1999, Gayheart starred in the black comedy
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...
film '' Jawbreaker'' with Rose McGowan
Rósa Arianna "Rose" McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), McGowan achieved wider recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generati ...
, Julie Benz
Julie Benz (born May 1, 1972) l is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Darla on ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and ''Angel'' (1997–2004), and as Rita Bennett on '' Dexter'' (2006–2010), for which she won the 2006 Satellite Awar ...
, and Judy Greer
Judith Therese Evans (born July 20, 1975), known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress, who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She first rose to prominence in a variety of suppor ...
as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school who inadvertently kill their friend. Though the film was a box-office
A box office or ticket office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a wicket. By extension, the term is freq ...
failure, it went on to earn a cult following
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
in subsequent decades.
Gayheart starred as the waitress in the Train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...
music video for the 1999 song "Meet Virginia
"Meet Virginia" is a song written and recorded by American roots rock band Train. It was released in 1999 as the second single from their eponymous first album, ''Train''. The song reached a peak of number 20 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart i ...
".
In 2000, Gayheart had a lead role in the vampire film '' From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter'', as well as a lead role in the thriller ''Shadow Hours
A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, o ...
'', opposite Balthazar Getty
Paul Balthazar Getty (; born January 22, 1975) is an American actor and musician. His acting debut was in ''Lord of the Flies'' (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in '' Lost Highway'' (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in '' Ch ...
. She also had a cameo appearance
A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly eit ...
in '' Urban Legends: Final Cut'', the sequel to ''Urban Legend''.
In 2002, Gayheart was hired for the role of Inara Serra
This page lists characters from the television series ''Firefly''.
Major characters Malcolm Reynolds
Malcolm Reynolds ("Mal"), played by Nathan Fillion, is owner and captain of the Firefly-class spaceship ''Serenity'', and was a volunteer in t ...
on the television series ''Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
'' but was fired after only one day of filming. Show creator Joss Whedon
Joseph Hill Whedon (; born June 23, 1964) is an American filmmaker, composer, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Mutant Enemy Productions, co-founder of Bellwether Pictures, and is best known as the creator of several television series: ...
said that a lack of chemistry existed between the rest of the cast and her. The role was recast with actress Morena Baccarin
Morena Silva de Vaz Setta Baccarin (; born 2 June 1979) is a Brazilian actress known for portraying Inara Serra in the sci-fi series '' Firefly'' and its follow-up film '' Serenity'', Vanessa in the superhero comedy franchise ''Deadpool'', Jessi ...
, who reportedly filmed her first scene the day she was accepted for the role. None of Gayheart's work was used.
From March to July 2005, Gayheart starred in a Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
production of ''Steel Magnolias
''Steel Magnolias'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross and starring Academy Award winner Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts. The picture is a film adaptation ...
''. David Rooney of ''Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' praised her performance, writing: "Exuding all the breezy confidence of a girl who's always been popular and pretty, Gayheart's Shelby provides a strong center, allowing only brief glimpses of the cracks in her cheerful, optimistic veneer and refusing to be treated as fragile goods by the clucking women around her." She also appeared in a minor role in the Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
horror-comedy film ''Santa's Slay
''Santa's Slay'' is a 2005 Christmas slasher black comedy film written and directed by David Steiman, a former assistant to Brett Ratner; Ratner served as a producer. The film stars Bill Goldberg, Douglas Smith, Emilie de Ravin, Robert Culp, Sau ...
'' (2005). In 2007, Gayheart guest-starred on ''Ugly Betty
''Ugly Betty'' is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which was originally broadcast on ABC. It premiered on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian t ...
'' as Jordan, an ex-girlfriend of Alexis Meade
Alexis Meade (born Alexander Spencer Meade) is a fictional character from the ABC dramedy series ''Ugly Betty'', initially portrayed by Elizabeth Penn Payne (when she was listed in the credits as "Masked Lady") for the first twelve episodes of he ...
. The following year, she returned to Broadway in a revival of the comedy, '' Boeing-Boeing'' opposite Christine Baranski
Christine Jane Baranski (born May 2, 1952) is an American actress. She is a 15-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 1995 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Maryann Thorpe in the sitcom ''Cybill'' ...
, Mark Rylance
Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurenc ...
, Greg Germann
Gregory Andrew Germann ( ; born February 26, 1958) is an American actor who is known for playing Richard Fish on the television series '' Ally McBeal'', which earned him a Screen Actors Guild award. He also is known for his roles as Eric "Rico" ...
, Paige Davis
Paige Davis is an American television personality and actress.
She is best known as the host of the TLC home improvement reality television program ''Trading Spaces'' from 2001 until 2008, and hosted the morning talkshow ''Home and Family'' o ...
, and Missi Pyle
Missi Pyle (born November 16, 1972) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in a number of successful films, including ''Galaxy Quest'' (1999), ''Big Fish'' (2003), ''Bringing Down the House'' (2003), '' Dodgeball: A True Underdog S ...
. She had a guest role on ''The Cleaner
A cleaner is an industrial or domestic worker who cleans.
Cleaner(s) or The Cleaner(s) may also refer to:
Cleaning
* Cleaning agent, a substance used to remove dirt, stains, etc.
* Cleanser, a product used to cleanse, such as a facial cleanser
* ...
'' in 2009.
Gayheart returned to film in 2013, reuniting with ''Jawbreaker'' director Darren Stein
Darren Stein (born December 24, 1971) is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer who grew up in the San Fernando Valley. Among his works include the documentary ''Put the Camera on Me'', the 2010 horror comedy ''All About Evil' ...
for his comedy '' G.B.F.'', portraying the mother of a gay teenage boy. She also starred opposite her husband, Dane, in the 2017-released thriller film '' Grey Lady'', which was filmed in 2014.
In 2019, Gayheart returned to film with a minor supporting role in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
's ''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'' is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it is a ...
'', playing Billie Booth, the wife of Brad Pitt
William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of various accolades, including two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ...
's character.
Personal life
Gayheart had met Brett Ratner at age 15 on the day she moved to New York City in 1986, and the two carried on a romantic relationship that spanned 13 years. She and Ratner were engaged in 1997, but the couple eventually separated in 1999.
On June 13, 2001, while driving a vehicle owned by Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
actor Marco Leonardi
Marco Leonardi (born 14 November 1971) is an Italian actor.
Leonardi was born in Australia to Italian parents. He moved to Italy at the age of four and at 17 starred in the acclaimed Italian film '' Cinema Paradiso'' (1988). He later starred i ...
(her ''From Dusk Till Dawn 3'' co-star), Gayheart struck nine-year-old Jorge Cruz, Jr. as he walked across a street in Los Angeles. Cruz died the following day from his injuries. Gayheart paid the family $10,000 for Cruz's funeral expenses and was given permission by the family to attend the service, but ultimately chose not to.[ On August 7, 2001, Gayheart made her only public statement on the incident, in which she said: "The pain of this tragedy will live with me forever. Despite the allegations in the lawsuit, the facts will establish that this was a most unfortunate accident."][ On November 27, 2001, Gayheart pleaded ]no contest
' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense.
In criminal Trial (law), trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the def ...
to vehicular manslaughter
Vehicular homicide is a crime that involves the death of a person other than the driver as a result of either criminally negligent or murderous operation of a motor vehicle.
In cases of criminal negligence, the defendant is commonly charged ...
. She was sentenced to three years of probation
Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration.
In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
, a one-year suspension of her license, a $2,800 fine, and 750 hours of community service. The parents of the boy filed a wrongful death lawsuit, which was eventually settled out of court.
Gayheart married actor Eric Dane
Eric William Dane (born November 9, 1972) is an American actor. After multiple television roles in the 1990s and 2000s, which included his recurring role as Jason Dean in ''Charmed'', Dane was cast as Dr. Mark Sloan on the ABC medical drama tel ...
on October 29, 2004, in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. Dane told ''Flaunt'' magazine about how they met: "It's probably one of the least interesting stories in the world. It went basically like this: 'You wanna go out?' 'Yeah, sure.' Ten months later, we were married."
On August 17, 2009, a nude video was posted on the website gawker.com
''Gawker'' is an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers and based in New York City focusing on celebrities and the media industry. According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month as of 2015. Founded in ...
that showed former Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant formerly run, since 1983, by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. Unlike its sister pageants Miss Universe, which currently broadcasts on Fox and Miss USA, this pageant is webcast on the Mis ...
contestant Kari Ann Peniche
Kari Ann Peniche Williams ( ) (born March 20, 1984) is an American actress and entertainer from Fairview, Oregon. She has held the Miss Oregon Teen USA and Miss United States Teen titles. She was stripped of the latter title after appearing nude ...
with Gayheart and husband Eric Dane.
On March 3, 2010, Gayheart gave birth to her first child with Dane, a daughter in Los Angeles. The following year, she gave birth to her second daughter with Dane on December 28, 2011.
In February 2018, Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane after 14 years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences."
Filmography
Film
Television
Stage credits
Notes
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gayheart, Rebecca
1971 births
Living people
Actresses from Kentucky
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of English descent
American people of Scottish descent
Female models from Kentucky
Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute alumni
People from Knott County, Kentucky
People from Hazard, Kentucky
21st-century American women