Actor Eric Dane has passed away.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” alum passed away Thursday, 10 months after announcing his ALS diagnosis. He was 53 years old.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that Eric Dane passed away on Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with ALS,” Dane’s family said in a statement to People magazine.
“Eric’s journey with ALS has made him a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle,” the statement continued. “He will be greatly missed and will always be remembered with fondness.”
“Eric loves his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he has received. His family requests privacy as they work through this impossible time.”
In a statement to Page Six, I AM ALS said it was “heartbroken” by Dane’s death.
“Eric brought humility, humor, and visibility to ALS, reminding the world that progress is possible if we refuse to be silenced,” the organization shared in part. “Eric was not only a supporter of our mission, but a member of our family. Through his integrity, courage, and belief in a better future for those battling this diagnosis, his impact will live on in the research he funds, the policies he advances, and the community he grew.”
Dane has been open about his battle with ALS, revealing that he was diagnosed with the disease in April 2025.
According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS is a “neurological disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,” causing “loss of muscle control” and progressing over time.
There is no cure.
In an interview on “Good Morning America” in June 2025, he revealed his first symptoms.
“I started feeling a little bit of weakness in my right hand, but I wasn’t really thinking about it at the time,” the actor explained to Diane Sawyer.
“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.”
In September 2025, he was seen in a wheelchair struggling to talk to paparazzi at a Washington, D.C., airport.
When asked what he would say to worried fans, the Dane replied in a stuttering voice: “Keep the faith.”
In December 2025, he stated that he still wanted to continue acting despite the progress of his disease.
“I still have a brain and I can still speak,” he said during a panel discussion hosted by I Am ALS and Brilliant Minds. “I’m willing to do anything.”
Late last month. He abruptly withdrew from the ALS event due to health issues. The actor canceled “due to the physical realities of ALS” and because he was “not healthy enough to attend.”
Dane and wife Rebecca Gayheart called off their divorce in March 2025, one month before he announced his ALS diagnosis.
The former couple married in 2004 and have daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.
In an emotional essay for The Cut published in December 2025, Gayheart revealed that she and Dane “haven’t lived in the same house for eight years” and said their “love may not be romantic, but it’s familial.”
She pointed out that since they filed for divorce in 2018, “he’s dated other people and (she) has dated other people, too.” Peter Morton is a 78-year-old billionaire.
“Eric knows that I always want the best for him,” she also wrote. “I’m going to do my best to do what’s right for him, and I know he’ll do the same for me.”
“So anything I can do to make this journey better for him or easier for him, in any way, I want to do it,” she continued. “And I want to model for my daughters, ‘That’s what you do. That’s the right thing to do.'”
Dane was best known for his role as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, which he starred in from 2006 to 2012 and from seasons 3 to 9.
His film appearances included “Marley & Me,” “Burlesque,” and “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.”
Dane returned to the small screen as Cal Jacobs in HBO’s Euphoria. He was the main character in the first two seasons of the popular series and reprized his role in the upcoming third season, which will premiere in April.
He also appeared on season 2 of NBC’s “Brilliant Minds,” playing a firefighter diagnosed with ALS.
