Eric Dane is sharing the heartbreaking reality of living with ALS.
If you don’t know, the 52-year-old Grey’s Anatomy actor revealed his ALS diagnosis to the world on April 10.
During an interview with GMA, Eric shared, “I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand. And I didn’t really think anything of it at the time, I thought maybe I’d been texting too much and my hand was fatigued. A few weeks later, I noticed it’d gotten a little worse. I went and saw a hand specialist, who sent me to another hand specialist. I went and saw a neurologist, and the neurologist sent me to another neurologist and said, ‘This is way above my pay grade.’”
Nine months later, he was diagnosed with ALS.
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It has been 18 months since his symptoms started.
He explained, “I have one functioning arm….My left side is functioning. My right side, [my dominant side], has completely stopped working. [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.”
On his relationship with his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, “We have managed to become better friends and better parents. She is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her.”
He also recounted a scary recent experience while snorkeling with his daughter, when he felt too weak to continue: “She dragged me back to the boat. I was like, breaking down in tears. I made sure she got back to the water with her friend and continued on with the snorkeling. I was just heart broken.”
Eric and Rebecca split back in 2018 after 14 years of marriage, but it was revealed in March of 2025 that they decided to call off the divorce. Rebecca just gave a recent update on their relationship.
If you don’t know, there is no cure for ALS. The Mayo Clinic notes that ALS is “a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time.”
We’re continuing to send our thoughts to Eric and his loved ones. Watch the interview below.
