Linda Evans

Her marriage to Derek broke up due to his dalliance with a little-known actress named Mary Cathleen Collins. Cruz' parents also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against her. She dated musician Yanni from 1989 until 1998, and was married to film producer John Derek from 1968 to 1974. She subsequently pleaded no contest to misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter and was sentenced to a one year suspension of her license, three years probation, a $2800 fine, and 750 hours of community service. Due to her character's name on Dynasty, she started a successful ad campaign for Crystal Light beverages, starting in 1984. Nine-year-old Jorge Cruz, Jr was crossing the street in the middle of the block when Gayheart pulled out of a line of cars to make a left turn. Gayheart struck and mortally injured Cruz. Her most famous television roles have been on The Big Valley as Audra Barkley (1965-1969) and on Dynasty as Krystle Carrington (1981-1989). On June 13, 2001, Gayheart was driving in Los Angeles.

She was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Gayheart was engaged to director Brett Ratner but the couple seperated. Gayheart married actor Eric Dane on October 29, 2004. Linda Evans (born November 18, 1942) is an American television actress. Gayheart has appeared in several films, most often horror films or comedies aimed at a teenage audience: Somebody Is Waiting (1996), Nothing to Lose (1997), Scream 2 (1997), Hairshirt (1998), Urban Legend (1998), Jawbreaker (1999), Puppet (1999), From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter (2000), Shadow Hours (2000), Doppelganger (2001), Harvard Man (2001), and Pipe Dream (2002). She has also been a regular on the television series Earth 2 (1994), Wasteland (1999), and Dead Like Me (2003) and has a re-occurring role on Nip/Tuck (2004). In 1995, she had a recurring role in the series Beverly Hills, 90210.

In 1992, she joined the cast of the soap opera Loving. Gayheart became well known from her appearances in a series of commercials for Noxzema skin cream beginning in 1991. She moved to New York City at 15 where she completed her education at New York's Professional Children's School and the Lee Strasberg Institute and began a career acting and modeling. She is a coal miner's daughter.

Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in nearby Pinetop. Rebecca Gayheart (born August 12, 1972) is an American actress.