Eric Dane is opening up and being completely vulnerable with fans in his first video addressing his ALS diagnosis and a new campaign to help find a cure to end the disease.
“I’m Eric. An actor, a father and now a person living with ALS,” Dane, 52, said in the Instagram video shared on Monday, September 15. “For over a century, ALS has been incurable, and we’re done accepting the status quo. We need the fastest path to a cure and that’s why I partnered with I AM ALS on the Push for Progress. Our goal? A billion dollars over the next three years.”
The Grey’s Anatomy alum vowed, “Together, we’ll renew the landmark law ACT for ALS, get promising treatments to thousands of patients like me. And finally, finally push towards ending this disease.”
Dane, who announced his ALS diagnosis in April, spoke slowly and had a bit of slur with some of his words in the video, which alarmed some watching. Periodically throughout the video, the actor’s arms could be seen twitching uncontrollably.
According to the organization I AM ALS, both the actor’s speech and involuntary spasms are normal symptoms of ALS, which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and has no cure.
“There’s so much to learn. More to do and we have to do it now,” Dane continued in the video, before asking his followers to “visit the link below to donate. Get involved and be a part of pushing for progress.”
While many fans praised the actor for his willingness to raise awareness about the disease and desire to help find a cure, others took the opportunity to ask questions in the comments section to better understand the actor’s diagnosis.
“I don’t know a lot about ALS, admittedly, can someone tell me if the difference in Eric’s speech is a part of the diagnosis?” one user wrote in the comments section. “It sounds slurred, as if he’s struggling with speaking. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see how fast he has changed for the worst.”
I AM ALS responded back, “Yes; ALS affects all muscles in the body, including vocal and throat muscles.”
When another user pointed out that Dane appeared to have a “twitch in his arm,” the organization replied, “Yep. ALS is a brutal disease.”
Eric Dane has been candid about his health over the years, including his recent ALS diagnosis. The Grey’s Anatomy and Charmed alum announced the news of his diagnosis on Thursday, April 10, in a statement to People. “I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as […]
Dane shared his ALS diagnosis publicly in April, telling People at the time, “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
Dane, who shares daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, with wife Rebecca Gayheart, noted that he would continue to act as much as possible. (Gayheart, 54, and Dane were married 14 years before she filed for divorce in 2018. In March, she filed to dismiss her divorce from Dane, but the pair are not romantically back together.)
In June, Dane sat down with Diane Sawyer for his first interview since announcing his diagnosis. He revealed at the time that the illness had progressed to the point where he’d begun losing function of his limbs.
“I have one functioning arm. … My left side is functioning. My right side, [which is my dominant side], has completely stopped working,” Dane said at the time. “[My left arm] is going. I feel like maybe a couple, a few more months and I won’t have my left. … I’m worried about my legs.”
Despite so many unknowns about his future, Dane told Sawyer, 79, that he is leaning on Gayheart and his family.
“I’m fighting as much as I can. There’s so much about it that’s out of my control,” he shared. “I’m angry because, you know, my father was taken from me when I was young and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they’re very young. At the end of the day, all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can. … They’re loved. They know it.”
Although Dane missed the 2025 Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 14, where he was set to take the stage with fellow Grey’s star Jesse Williams, his appearance in the ALS video on Monday showed some hope for fans — and worry for others.
Eric Dane shared an emotional story about his teenage daughter saving him in the ocean amid his battle with ALS. During a Monday, June 16, sit-down with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, Dane, 52, recalled going on a boat trip with his 13-year-old daughter, Georgia. “When I jumped into the ocean that day and […]
The I AM ALS community, however, expressed excitement over Dane agreeing to be such a visible spokesperson for their campaign to end the incurable disease.
“We’re thrilled to announce Push for Progress, a groundbreaking campaign to accelerate ALS research, expand access to treatments, and secure $1 billion in federal funding for ALS over the next three years,” I AM ALS captioned the video of Dane, which he also shared on his personal Instagram page.
The message continued: “I AM ALS — called the ‘most successful patient advocacy movement of the 21st century — is launching this campaign now because ALS is at a tipping point. New treatments are within reach, but thousands of people living with ALS will lose access unless we take action. Join us using the link in bio.”
