Actor Eric Dane died on Feb. 19, 2026, at 53 years old, just 10 months after revealing his ALS diagnosis.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” his family said in a statement to NBC News. “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.”
As NBC’s The Today Show reports, the actor, known for his roles in “Euphoria” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” first revealed he had the disease in an interview with People in April 2025. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,” Dane told the outlet. He also said he planned to continue acting. In interviews, on social media and through his advocacy work, Dane shared details about how his disease was progressing, and discussed his symptoms and the challenges of living with ALS.
Here’s what to know.
What Is ALS?
Eric Dane’s family didn’t specify the actor’s exact cause of death, but shared that he died after battling ALS, a neurodegenerative disease that impacts muscle control.
ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a degenerative neurological disease that impacts nerve function. The illness targets nerve cells in the spine and brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which progressively worsens muscle control.
As the disease evolves, people with ALS can experience muscle weakness, cramps, stiffness, drooling, fatigue, trouble swallowing, trouble speaking, the Cleveland Clinic adds. Eventually, patients might lose their ability to walk, stand, breathe and speak.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ALS is rare. In 2022, there were nearly 33,000 estimated cases, say researchers, who project that cases will rise to more than 36,000 by 2030. ALS is most often diagnosed in individuals between the ages of 55 and 75, with the average age of diagnosis around 55–60. While it primarily strikes in mid-life, it can affect people anywhere from ages 40 to 70 – rarely in younger adults. It is slightly more common in men than women.
As PBS News reports, the exact cause of the disease is unknown, and Mayo Clinic experts said a small number of cases are inherited. Life expectancy after an ALS diagnosis is between three and five years. There is no cure for ALS, but some treatments can slow progression of symptoms.
It’s called Lou Gehrig’s disease after the Hall of Fame New York Yankees player. Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS in 1939 on his 36th birthday, died in 1941 and was the face of ALS for decades.
What are some signs of ALS?
Experts say the first symptoms are often subtle. The disease may begin with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg.
Over time, muscles stop acting and reacting correctly, said experts at University of California San Francisco Health. People may lose strength and coordination in their arms and legs; feet and ankles may become weak; and muscles in the arms, shoulders and tongue may cramp or twitch. Swallowing and speaking may become difficult and fatigue may set in.
The ability to think, see, hear, smell, taste and touch are usually not affected, UCSF experts said. Eventually, muscles used for breathing may become paralyzed. Patients may be unable to swallow and inhale food or saliva. Most people with ALS die of respiratory failure.
How is ALS diagnosed and treated?
The disease is difficult to diagnose because there’s no test or procedure to confirm it. Generally, doctors will perform a physical exam, lab tests and imaging of the brain and spinal cord. A doctor may interpret certain things as signs of ALS, including an unusual flexing of the toes, diminished fine motor coordination, painful muscle cramps, twitching and spasticity, a type of stiffness causing jerky movements.
There’s no known cure for ALS, but the drug riluzole has been approved for treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic, it may extend survival in the early stages of the disease or extend the time until a breathing tube is needed.
Another much-debated drug, Relyvrio, was pulled from the U.S. market by Amylyx Pharmaceuticals in 2024. Its development had been financed, in part, by the ALS Association, the major beneficiary of the 2014 ” ice bucket challenge ” viral phenomenon. Other medications are sometimes prescribed to help control symptoms.
Choking is common as ALS progresses, so patients may need feeding tubes. People may also use braces, wheelchairs, speech synthesizers or computer-based communication systems.
After the onset of the disease, experts say patients may survive from two years to a decade. Most people live from two to five years after symptoms develop, and about a fifth live more than five years after they are diagnosed. Eric Dane’s condition was diagnosed at a fairly young age and progressed very rapidly.
When Did Eric Dane’s ALS Symptoms Start?
In a June 2025 interview, Eric Dane shared that his ALS symptoms had started about a year and a half prior, which would be late 2023 or early 2024. “I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand,” he said in the interview with ABC News.
At first, he blamed overzealous texting, but when the weakness progressed, he consulted a hand specialist, who then referred him to another specialist. “I went and saw a neurologist, and the neurologist sent me to another neurologist and said that ‘this is way above my pay grade.’”
In an interview with The Cut in December 2025, Dane’s wife, Rebecca Gayheart, recalled his sudden difficulties using chopsticks and dropping his food. “He was initially diagnosed with a few other things, but he had this sinking feeling that it was something more serious,” she said. Gayheart also revealed to The Cut that Dane had to be cared for by nurses 24/7.
After nine months of searching for answers, he was diagnosed with ALS. By June 2025, he only had one functioning arm. “My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working,” he said in an interview with ABC News.
He knew things would change soon. He could feel the strength in his left arm deteriorating. “It’s going,” he said, “I feel, like, maybe in a couple — a few more months, I won’t have my left either. It’s sobering.”
Dane Became an Advocate for Finding a Cure
Since learning he had the disease, Dane said he’d never forget those three letters: ALS. “It’s on me the second I wake up,” he told ABC News.
Still, he kept on, sharing positive updates. “I feel great when I’m at work,” he told E! News in June 2025. “Of course, there have been some sort of setbacks, but I feel pretty good. My spirit is always pretty buoyant, so at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
In unreleased footage Dane filmed with I AM ALS, an advocacy organization, he said life with this diagnosis is “uncharted territory.” He said, “I’m learning as I go. I’m just trying to, like, walk through this thing with as much grace and dignity as I can so I can show my kids: this is how you do this.”
Having ALS is hard, he added, but it’s tough for his loved ones too. In a September 2025 video shared on social media, Dane’s speech had changed, his words slow and slurred. In it, he stressed the importance of finding a cure for ALS.
In his final interview, Dane shared four messages for his daughters.
- “Live in the present”
- “Fall in love”
- “Find your people”
- “Fight with every ounce of your being”
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