The &34;Grey's Anatomy&34; star died almost a year after he announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. Eric Dane's cause of death confirmed 1 week after he died at 53 The &34;Grey's Anatomy&34; star died almost a year after he announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis. By Mekishana Pierre :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/MekishanaPierreauthorphotoed08906b8105488ca1e991de8ac00dec.jpg) Mekishana Pierre Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at . She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on Entertainment Tonight and Popsugar.

The "Grey's Anatomy" star died almost a year after he announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.

Eric Dane's cause of death confirmed 1 week after he died at 53

The "Grey's Anatomy" star died almost a year after he announced his amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.

By Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre

Mekishana Pierre is a news writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2025. Her work has previously appeared on *Entertainment Tonight* and Popsugar.

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on March 2, 2026 3:04 p.m. ET

Eric Dane photographed at the St. Regis in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 30, 2025. Credit:

Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty

Eric Dane's cause of death has been confirmed a little over a week after his family shared the news of his death.

The actor — best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan (a.k.a. McSteamy) on *Grey's Anatomy* and later for costarring on HBO's *Euphoria* — died of respiratory failure at age 53, according to PEOPLE. The outlet reported that Dane's death certificate listed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as an underlying cause of death.

Dane revealed he had been diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in April 2025, a progressive and fatal nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control; therefore, it affects patients' ability to breathe, speak, and move, according to the Mayo Clinic. There is no cure, though some patients can live for decades.

Eric Dane in 2022.

Momodu Mansaray/Getty

After sharing his diagnosis, Dane became the face of the organization I AM ALS, fronting a public campaign to find federal funding for research on the incurable neurological disease. In September, a noticeably less mobile Dane joined doctors and representatives from the I Am ALS organization for a discussion with California Congressman Eric Swalwell about investing in innovative treatments to ensure access to quality care for those diagnosed with ALS, as well as their families and researchers.

In December 2025, he announced that he had written an autobiography called *Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments*. His decision to do so came from "wak[ing] up every morning, and [being] immediately reminded that this is real — this illness, this challenge and that's exactly why I'm writing this book."

Dane — who is survived by his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13 — added, "I want to capture the moments that shaped me — the beautiful days, the hard ones, the ones I never took for granted — so that if nothing else, people who read it will remember what it means to live with heart. If sharing this helps someone find meaning in their own days, then my story is worth telling."

Eric Dane as Mark Sloan on 'Grey's Anatomy'.

Bob D'Amico/Getty

The actor often cited his family as being his motivation to fight the disease. He reiterated the sentiment during his taping of Netflix's *Famous Last Words* in November 2025 — an interview that he understood would only be released after he had passed. The episode was released the day after Dane's death.

"Billie and Georgia, these words are for you," Dane said while speaking directly to the camera to deliver his final public thoughts to his children. "I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn't we? I remember all the times we spent at the beach, the two of you, me and mom — in Santa Monica, Hawaii, Mexico. I see you now playing in the ocean for hours, my water babies. Those days, pun intended, were heaven."

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Dane, whose mobility had visibly deteriorated since he shared his diagnosis in April 2025, said to his daughters that he wanted to share "four things I've learned from this disease," adding that he hoped they "don't just listen to me. I hope you'll hear me."

He advised his daughters to: 1, live in the present; 2, fall in love; 3, choose their friends wisely; and 4, fight with every ounce of your being, and with dignity.

'Grey's Anatomy' pays tribute to Eric Dane with Mark Sloan montage

James Van Der Beek's wife Kimberly mourns Eric Dane with throwback photo: 'Will miss our guys'

"The two of you are different people. But you're both strong and resilient. You inherited resiliency from me. That's my superpower," the *Charmed *alum quipped. "You knock me down, I bounce right up, and I keep coming back. I get up again, and again, and again. Mark says I'm like a cat, except a cat has nine lives, and I'm on number 15 — easily. So when something unexpected hits you, and it will because that's life, fight and face it with honesty, integrity, and grace, even if it feels or seems insurmountable."

Eric Dane in 2025.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Concluding his message, Dane told his daughters that he hoped he had shown them that they could face "anything."

"You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight, girls, and hold your heads high," the father of two passionately finished. "Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words."

Eric Dane's episode of *Famous Last Words* is available to stream on Netflix.

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Published: March 3, 2026 at 08:01AM on Source: MANUEL MAG

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