‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Star Eric Dane Spent Final Days Bedridden and Unable To Speak with Friends and Family by His Side

"Grey’s Anatomy" star Eric Dane spent his final days "bedridden" and unable to speak at his California home, surrounded by close friends and family, including his medical drama co-star Patrick Dempsey.

The actor, who was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disease in April 2025, died on the afternoon of Feb. 19. His death was revealed in a statement by his reps.

“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife [actress and estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart,] 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. 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.”

Following his death, many of his celebrity friends have come forward to lay bare the actor's final moments.

One of those friends was Dempsey, who revealed that he saw Dane mere days before he passed away.

"I feel really so sad for his children. I was corresponding with him, we were texting, so I spoke to him about a week ago and some friends of ours went in to see him and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak," Dempsey said during an appearance on "The Chris Evans Breakfast Show" on Feb. 20.

As he joyously remembered his dear friend, Dempsey revealed that Dane's health was quickly "deteriorating," explaining that the actor was unable to speak and swallow.

"He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow, so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly. He was the funniest man—he was such a joy to work with, and I want to just remember him in that spirit because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it.

"He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with, we got along instantly. First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant," Dempsey said.

The fellow "Grey's Anatomy" star gushed about Dane, noting that he did a wonderful job at bringing awareness to the disease.

"He did an incredible job at bringing awareness to this horrible disease and those remaining days and it just reminds us that we all have to celebrate every day like it's our last day.

"It's something that we have to remember and certainly in a world where there is just so much crisis and there is so much tragedy that we really need to be grateful for every moment that we have… spend time with our families, do things that are better, that benefit of other people to be of service to be kind, to be loving and these values with our leadership unfortunately that we're seeing around the world and certainly in America with this horrible, you know, corrupt government that is currently running America, we have to remember to treat our neighbors and our friends with the right values," Dempsey said.

Following Dane's death, many of his friends and co-stars shared their tributes, including Kevin McKidd and Kim Raver.

McKidd reposted in Instagram Stories a photo shared by Variety of the late actor on the "Grey's Anatomy" set.

"Rest in peace buddy..," McKidd penned over the image.

Sarah Drew also shared that image to her Instagram Story, adding, "Rest in peace," alongside multiple crying emojis.

Raver, who played Dr. Teddy Altman in the medical drama, posted an image of herself and Dane on the show on her Instagram.

"Eric was a light. You’d see it effortlessly shine from him on the set of Grey’s as well as when he was with Rebecca and the girls. During filming, he’d get this twinkle in his eye and with a mischievous look, he would deliver with perfect comedic timing, a line of dialogue that would floor you! You will be missed," Raver wrote.

"Grey's Anatomy" showrunner Krista Vernoff shared multiple screenshots of a conversation she and Dane had when he returned to the series in 2021.

"I called Eric and he answered immediately," Vernoff said.

In their messages, Dane revealed he was excited about his return.

"The thing I will remember most about Eric Dane are his hugs. The best hugs. Oh my friend. I wish you peace," Vernoff added.

Dane and and Gayheart, 54, tied the knot in 2004, and share children Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.

Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane in 2018; however, in March 2025, just one month before the "Grey's Anatomy" alum announced his diagnosis, she dismissed the filing.

While speaking on the podcast, "Broad Ideas," Gayheart previously opened up about the state of their relationship, insisting that she will always be there as a source of support for Dane, even though their marriage had ended.

“We’ve been separated for eight years. The kids live with me 100% of the time. There’s been lots of just stuff, other stuff,” she told hosts Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen.

She added that it is important for her to be a "role model" for her daughters, particularly in how she treats her former spouse.

“I am definitely trying to show them that we show up for people, no matter what. He is our family. He is your father. We show up, and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it and that we will get through it the best we can," she said.

Gayheart noted that she was staying afloat and helping her loved ones by trying to "stay optimistic."

“I don’t know if I’m doing it well or doing it in the wrong way or the right way. I’m just showing up... and trying to be there for them. I guess time will tell,” she added.

The mom of two noted that her daughters are strong and "good girls," who are feeling the pain of life's lessons.

“Listen, I am definitely experiencing growth as a person, as a human being. It’s all very humbling.

“This is life. Life, sadly, is just moments good and bad, strung together,” she said, noting that it's crucial to take care of yourself in these difficult moments as well

Dane previously assured fans he had no plans to give up on treatment, as he advocated for the reauthorization of the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for ALS Act, which was passed in 2021.

That legislation is currently due to expire in 2026, according to CNN.

Dane left his hometown of Los Angeles and jetted off to Washington, DC, with the nonprofit organization, I AM ALS, to meet with U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey.

The Hollywood star previously candidly spoke about his own diagnosis in a video shared on TikTok by U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell of California.

At the time, Dane noted that he was fighting with all the power he has for his family.

The actor said, "I have two daughters at home. I want to see them, you know, graduate college, and get married, and maybe have grandkids. You know, I want to be there for all that. So I'm going to fight to the last breath on this one."

In September, the A-lister revealed that he was partnering with I AM ALS in an Instagram video.

Dane's trip came nearly months after he opened up about how his day-to-day life had been affected by his devastating ALS diagnosis, in a heartbreaking interview with Diane Sawyer.

During an appearance on "Good Morning America" on June 16—his first on-screen sit-down since he revealed his diagnosis—Dane shared a devastating look inside his life, explaining to Sawyer that he had only been left with one working arm.

"I have one functioning arm," he said. "My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working."

However, Dane noted that he believed he was starting to lose function in his left arm, explaining that "it is going," and adding: "I feel like maybe a couple, a few more months and I won’t have my left hand either. It's sobering."

He told Sawyer about a particularly harrowing incident when he was snorkeling with his daughter and lost the ability to keep himself afloat—leaving his child forced to haul him back to their boat.

"She dragged me back to the boat," he recalled. "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 heartbroken."

Dane confessed that—while he was determined to fight the disorder for as long as he can—he can't help but feel plagued by it every morning.

"I wake up every day, and I'm immediately reminded that this is happening," he said.

However, while the actor admitted to being weighed down by his diagnosis, he insisted that it would not be the "end" of him.

"I don't think this is the end of my story. I don't feel like this is the end of me," he said.

Speaking about his diagnosis, Dane revealed that he first grew concerned that something was wrong when he noticed his right hand felt weaker than normal.

"I didn’t really think anything of it at the time," he recalled. "I thought maybe I’d been texting too much or my hand was fatigued, but a few weeks later I noticed it got a little worse."

However, even after speaking to medical experts, it took Dane nine months to receive an official diagnosis, during which time he was bounced from doctor to doctor as they struggled to find the root cause of his issues.

"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,'" he said.

ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the ALS Association.

For around 90% of cases of ALS, there is no known family history or a genetic mutation linked to ALS.

For 5% to 10% of cases, there is a family history of the disease. This is often referred to as familial ALS.

There is currently no known cure for ALS. However, there are FDA-approved medications that may help slow down the progression of the disease.

After sharing his diagnosis, Dane closely guarded many of the details of his medical battle.

According to his IMDB page, the actor had three projects that were due to be released: "Euphoria" Season 3, which is expected to premiere in 2026; a 13-episode thriller called "Countdown," which will be released on June 25; and a movie called "Family Secrets."

Dane rose to stardom after appearing in ABC's hit medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," where he played the role of Dr. Mark Sloan, who was often referred to as "McSteamy."

At the time of his death, Dane was believed to be residing in a three-bedroom, three-bathroom pad that sprawls across 2,265 square feet, which he snapped up with Gayheart in 2000 for $949,000.

While previously speaking to Sawyer about the status of his relationship, Dane was full of praise for Gayheart, paying tribute to the actress for her unwavering support throughout his diagnosis.

"We have managed to become better friends and better parents," he explained. "She is probably my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter, and I lean on her."