Eric Dane’s official cause of death has been announced.
The Grey’s Anatomy star died of respiratory failure, according to a death certificate obtained by People magazine on Monday.
Furthermore, his underlying cause of death was due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Dane tragically passed away on February 19th, 10 months after announcing his ALS diagnosis. He was 53 years old.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Eric Dane passed away on Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS,” his family told Page Six in a statement.
“Through his battle with ALS, Eric has become a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle.”
Before his death, the ‘Euphoria’ star was candid about his condition – it was a “neurological disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord”, resulting in “a loss of muscle control”.
In June 2025, during an interview with “Good Morning America,” Dane revealed that his symptoms first manifested as weakness in his right hand.
“I didn’t think anything of it at the time,” he said of his first layoff. “I thought maybe I was texting too much or my hands were tired. But after a few weeks, I noticed that my symptoms were getting a little worse.”
By September, he was photographed navigating the Washington, D.C., airport in a wheelchair.
Dane pursued acting work while battling ALS, but was forced to withdraw from an ALS event in January due to complications with his condition.
At the time of his death, Dane was married to his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart. The couple had called off their divorce in March 2025 after separating seven years ago.
The pair married in 2004 and have daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.
Gayheart, 54, explained their relationship in an essay for The Cut in December, explaining that she and Dane “haven’t lived in the same house for eight years” and that they had a “family love”.
The “Jawbreaker” star said that since filing for divorce in 2018, Dane has been “dating other people” and that she has been as well.
