Eric Dane has passed away at 53 after a short battle with ALS, TMZ reported on February 19, 2026. The outlet says he left the world with his wife, daughters, relatives, and friends at his bedside.
GettyAs the actor bravely continued his health battle after devastating his loyal fans with news of his ALS diagnosis in April 2025, Johnny Depp generously stepped in to take one concern off the “Grey’s Anatomy” star’s mind. Page Six reported on February 19 that Depp had given Dane use of a Los Angeles home he owns in what the outlet calls a “pay-as-you-can” arrangement.
GettyThe report says the home is located above the Sunset Strip, and Depp was allowing Dane to pay whatever he “can or can’t,” essentially giving the 53-year-old father of two a rent-free place to stay.
The report quotes an insider as saying, “Eric has one less thing to worry about” and “As Eric struggles with ALS Johnny wanted to do what he could to ease the financial burden.” The story says Dane met Depp through a mutual friend several years ago.
Dane’s wife of 22 years, actress Rebecca Gayheart, called off their pending divorce a month before the actor went public with his diagnosis, but it’s unclear whether the pair was living together in the end. Gayheart filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences back in 2018.
In June 2025, it was reported that Dane was dating photographer and director Janell Shirtcliff, and the pair hit the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of horror thriller “Countdown.”
Eric Dane’s Estranged Wife Rebecca Gayheart Still Considers Him Family
In December, Gayheart opened up to The Cut about why she stepped up to help care for Dane despite their years-long separation. She explained, “Eric Dane and I are not a couple – we’re family. And we’re facing his ALS diagnosis, and what comes next, together.”
Putting the desperation of coping with the serious diagnosis into words, she said, “It all feels like I’m walking on one of those bridges that are made out of ropes, and it’s just going on forever and I’m never gonna get to the other side.”
Eric Dane Bravely Continued Acting After His Diagnosis
Dane continued to appear on television since announcing his condition, and recently guest-starred on “Brilliant Minds” in November.
He had also been putting in activism efforts surrounding the relatively rare disease, which the AMA says affects around 5,000 new patients in the U.S. per year. In October, the “Open Water 2: Adrift” actor traveled to Capitol Hill to lobby for more federal research funds for ALS.
