Beloved actor Eric Dane’s friends are coming to his defense after a 2009 scandal resurfaced in the weeks following his passing, according to a new report.
Sources told Rob Shuter for his Naughty But Nice Substack that the re-emergence of Dane’s 2009 nude tape is exploitative.
“This is not a tribute. It’s exploitation,” one longtime friend told Shuter on Sunday, March 1. “Eric owned his past. That doesn’t mean the world gets to feast on it after he’s gone.”
Another source added, “Let him rest in peace. He was more than a sex tape.”
According to Shuter, there may be more unreleased footage from the infamous tape, which featured the “Grey’s Anatomy” actor, his then wife Rebecca Gayheart and another woman.
“Anything else was never meant for public consumption. Private means private. Period,” a third source stated.
Eric Dane Owned Up to His Past Scandal
The “Euphoria” actor was the center of tabloid fodder when an intimate private video leaked. Now, in the weeks since his passing, a source told Rob Shuter that there are rumors of “viewing parties.”
“We’ve all made mistakes,” Dane told People in 2014. “My one regret is that I got the person I love most wrapped up in all that: Rebecca.”
He later walked back his words in a 2019 interview with Glamour.
“I often think about that answer I gave. And looking back now, was it a mistake? Absolutely not,” he told the outlet. “Three consenting adults, one of them being my wife? I wasn’t doing anything wrong. We were just three people taking a bath.”
“I didn’t regret it, I have no regrets nor do I make any apologies for my life experience,” he said. “It’s my life experience and I’m at peace with all of it.”
Eric Dane Passed Away at Age 53
Just 10 months after going public with his ALS diagnosis, Dane passed away on February 19 at age 53.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” his family announced in a statement to People. “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.”
The statement continued, “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.”
