Beloved Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane’s cause of death has been confirmed more than a week after his passing.
While the late actor struggled with his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s Disease diagnosis, his death certificate, as per PEOPLE, revealed that he died of respiratory failure.
ALS is listed as an underlying cause of death.
The news of his death comes just 10 months after he publicly announced his diagnosis.
He spent his final days with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, their children, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, according to a statement given to PEOPLE.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” it read.
“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.”
Scroll on to read all about Eric’s life and legacy.
What are Eric Dane’s best movies and TV shows?
Eric started his Hollywood career at the age of 21, when he moved to Los Angeles in a bid to explore acting.
His early credits included Saved by the Bell, The Wonder Years, Roseanne, and Married… with Children, but he secured his big on-screen break in Gideon’s Crossing.
In 2003, he secured a recurring role in Charmed, but it was his work on Grey’s Anatomy that saw him rise to global fame.
Eric is arguably best recognised for his role as Dr Mark Sloan, or “Dr McSteamy” on the ABC medical drama.
He was originally cast as a guest star on the show’s second series, but the fan response was so huge that he was made a series regular.
He famously starred on the show from 2006 until 2012, when his character was killed off after a devastating plane crash in the season eight finale.
Eric was let go because of budgetary constraints and creative shifts, with the actor admitting he was starting to become “expensive” for the network.
He also revealed he had been struggling with drug and alcohol addiction at the time, telling Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, “They didn’t let me go because of that, although it definitely didn’t help.”
In terms of his film portfolio, Eric famously starred alongside Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston in 2008’s Marley & Me, and portrayed Jamie Madrox/Multiple Man in 2006’s X-Men: The Last Stand.
In more recent years, Eric starred as Jacob Elordi’s on-screen father, Cal Jacobs, in Euphoria, and he is expected to return for the show’s third and final series.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to [the] set of Euphoria,” he previously told PEOPLE, confirming his return.
The show is slated for release in April 2026, so Eric’s scenes will air posthumously, if included in the series.
How did Eric Dane know he had ALS?
In April 2025, Eric publicly confirmed that he had been diagnosed with ALS the previous year.
Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, it affects the nervous system and the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
The exact cause is not known, and early symptoms often include weakness in the arm or leg, slurred speech and struggles with swallowing.
There is no cure, and it eventually affects the muscles required to move, speak, breathe, and eat.
Eric was diagnosed with ALS after experiencing weakness in his right hand, and he was diagnosed around nine months later after extensive testing.
“It’s sobering,” he told Good Morning America last year. “I’m fighting as much as I can. There’s so much about it that’s out of my control.”
Since his diagnosis, Eric has done considerable work to raise awareness for ALS, attending a number of fundraising events.
In December, he joined a virtual event for the not-for-profit I am ALS to discuss his condition.
“I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying,” he said.
“[But] I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realised that I wasn’t built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me.”
As part of his advocacy, he also joined the Target ALS Foundation’s board of directors.
Were Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart still married?
Eric and Rebecca separated in 2018, but maintained a close relationship over the years, co-parenting their two daughters.
“My ex Eric and I, we are friends, and we are doing our best to co-parent and maintain a family, even though we’re not married. Legally, we’re still married, but separated,” Rebecca told PEOPLE in July 2019.
Rebecca called off their divorce in March 2025, and she was a close supporter of Eric’s throughout his ALS battle.
“I made it my mission. I was ‘locked in,’ as the kids would say. I crashed out, and then I locked it in,” she shared in a deeply personal essay for The Cut.
Rebecca told how Eric was having around-the-clock care and said she stepped in to help on shift times which weren’t able to be covered.
Eric is survived by Rebecca and their daughters, Billie and Georgia.
