Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria star dies aged 53 after ‘courageous’ battle with ALS as family release heartbreaking statement
Eric Dane has died aged 53 following a “courageous” battle with ALS.
The actor, known for Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, passed away on Thursday with his wife Rebecca Gayheart and daughters Billie and Georgia at his side.
His representative confirmed the news in a statement in the early hours of Friday morning, UK time.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” the statement read.
“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”
Dane first experienced symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease in early 2024.
He publicly revealed his diagnosis in April last year.
The condition, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, progressed rapidly in the months that followed.
By the time of his death, he was almost fully paralysed – which forced him to withdraw from several public appearances.
Dane first experienced symptoms of the neurodegenerative disease in early 2024
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ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
It is a terminal illness which destroys motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, causing muscle weakness, atrophy, and eventually paralysis.
In September 2025, he was unable to attend the Primetime Emmy Awards due to complications from the disease.
Just last month, he pulled out of the ALS Network’s Champions for Cures and Cares gala only hours before it was due to begin.
During a virtual panel for IAMALS.org in December 2025, Dane spoke candidly about his deteriorating condition.
By then, he had lost the use of his arms, his speech had noticeably changed, and he was using a wheelchair.
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PICTURED: Eric Dane, his wife Rebecca Gayheart and daughters Billie and Georgia
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“I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day,” he said.
“I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying.”
Despite this, he remained determined to keep working.
“I’m not about to concede my purpose for some disease. I just am not capable of doing that.”
In November 2025, he made a poignant cameo in an episode of NBC’s Brilliant Minds, portraying a firefighter with ALS.
Eric Dane made a poignant cameo in an episode of NBC’s Brilliant Minds late last year
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NBC
“The hardest thing for me to do was separate myself from the character because it was something that was so fresh and it was something that was so real to me,” he told the Daily Mail about the role.
Dane will appear posthumously in the third season of Euphoria, reprising his role as Cal Jacobs when it airs on HBO in April following a four-year break.
His Grey’s Anatomy co-star Patrick Dempsey paid tribute to him in late January.
“I think he’s been incredibly courageous in the face of this horrible disease,” Dempsey told Parade.
Dane is survived by his daughters Billie Beatrice, 16, and Georgia Geraldine, 14.
He and Gayheart had separated in 2018 but halted their divorce proceedings after his diagnosis.
