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 and community service. She returned to acting several years later, appearing in recurring guest roles on the television series "Dead Like Me" (2003), "Nip/Tuck" (2004–2006), and "Vanished" (2006). In 2005, Gayheart made her Broadway debut in a production of "Steel Magnolias". She returned to Broadway again in a 2008 production of "Boeing-Boeing", opposite Mark Rylance and Christine Baranski. In 2019, Gayheart appeared in a minor supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood".