Friends of Rebecca Gayheart fear for her mental health following the death of her younger sister.
Rachel Gayheart, 38, died on August 11 while locked up in a Kentucky jail on drugs charges.
Sources close to the Beverly Hills, 90210 star are now worried the latest incident may push her over the edge.
Worried: Friends of Rebecca Gayheart fear for her mental health following the death of her little sister
‘Rebecca has tried hard to keep it together since the accident,’ a source told the National Enquirer.
The accident the insider is referring to took place in 2001. The actress was charged with vehicular manslaughter after hitting and killing a nine-year-old boy at a Hollywood intersection.
More recently, her actor husband Eric Dane went on hiatus from his show The Last Ship to battle severe depression.
‘Eric’s problems, combined with losing her sister, has everyone worried she might not have the strength anymore,’ added the source.
Tragic: Rachel Gayheart (R) 38, died on August 11 while locked up in a Kentucky jail on drugs charges (pictured with her son Ethan)
She had a record: Here Rachel is seen in her Pikeville, Kentucky mug shot in March
Last week Rebecca posted a family photograph at her sister’s funeral.
‘My baby sister Rachel “ray ” has sadly passed away,’ she wrote. ‘We buried her on the hilltop in Kentucky along with my grandparents and cousins.
‘She was loved by everyone and had a wicked sense of humor and the most loving heart. Life has not been easy for you sis but now you can be peaceful.
‘I’m so grateful that I was able to be with my family during this time and want to say thank you to everyone for all of the love and support you’ve sent to me and my family,’ she continued.
RIP: Last week Rebecca posted a family photograph at her sister’s funeral
Family: Rebecca and husband Eric Dane have two daughters, seven-year-old Billie and five-year-old Georgia; seen in June
‘Let this be a reminder that every day is precious and we must live our best life NOW. Let your loved ones know how much you care as there is no guarantee that you will get another day to do so . #RIP #heartbroken #mypeople #lifeishard #racheldeannegayheart #mifamilia #godbless.’
As far as her 2001 accident, Rebecca was sued by the parents of Jorge Cruz, Jr after their sons death.
In the suit, they claimed a car had stopped at the intersection to allow the little boy cross, and that Gayheart passed the car and struck him, alleging she was talking on a cell phone at the time.
She has weathered a lot: Rebecca also suffered a scandal in 2009 when a video of her partying with Eric as well as beauty queen Kari Ann Peniche was leaked; seen in late June
Her old pal: Peniche is seen here in 2007 at a Los Angeles party
She denied negligence and pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter; she was sentenced to three years of probation, a one-year suspension of her license, a $2,800 fine, and 750 hours of community service.
Rebecca also suffered a scandal in 2009 when a video of her partying with Eric as well as beauty queen Kari Ann Peniche was leaked.
Dane seemed out of it as did Rebecca, who is seen with a suspicious looking pipe as she took a bath.
Eric seemed enamored with party girl Peniche – a former Miss United States Teen who has appeared on Celebrity Rehab – and called her a ‘good hang.’
Her career: Rebecca is best known for her movie roles Urban Legend and Scream 2
Kari has since said that she did not have sex with either star.
Dane was at the center of another controversy as he checked himself into rehab in 2011 after he became addicted to medication prescribed to him for a sports injury.
In 2014 Dane told People: ‘We have two beautiful kids and our marriage is stronger than ever’; seen in 2016
In 2014 he told People that appearing in the video was a ‘mistake.’
He added, ‘We’ve all made mistakes. My one regret is that I got the person I love most wrapped up in all that: Rebecca. But we worked through it and put it behind us.
‘We have two beautiful kids and our marriage is stronger than ever.’
He told the weekly: ‘I was given copious amounts [of pills] to deal with the injury, and being a recovering alcoholic, it wasn’t a great thing to do.’
‘I had to cowboy up and take care of the problem.’
Though he told the publication he doesn’t consider himself as sober, the star insists that he has put the past behind him thanks to his loved ones.
‘I honestly think I am exactly where I’m supposed to be at this moment in time,’ he explained. ‘And I’m really happy.’