Eric Dane
Dead at 53 After ALS Battle
Published
February 19, 2026
6:18 PM PST
Eric Dane has died at the age of 53, following a battle with ALS, TMZ has learned.
The family says in a statement to TMZ … “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. 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. Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
The “Grey’s Anatomy” star announced he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS, back in April 2025.
He explained it had been an exhausting road just to get accurate answers. He bounced from one specialist to another, test after test … until a neurologist finally dropped the bomb: ALS.
Over the months, he chronicled his battle with the progressive neurodegenerative disease … revealing how he was down to just one functioning arm and was running out of body strength.
Commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain … it gets worse over time and causes loss of muscle control, according to the Mayo Clinic. There is no known cure for ALS.
Eric persevered with work … even filming the third season of the HBO series, “Euphoria.”
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Last time we saw Eric was on his 50th birthday in 2022, where we talked about birthday cake.
He was 53.
RIP.
