Tearful Eric Dane breaks silence on ALS diagnosis in first interview since revealing terminal condition

Eric Dane is speaking out for the first time since going public with his ALS diagnosis.

The Grey’s Anatomy alum, 52, revealed in April that he’s battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare and incurable neurological condition that progressively weakens muscles and affects physical function. 

The heartbreaking health news came shortly after Dane and his estranged wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, 53, decided to call off their divorce after seven years apart.  

The pair share two daughters — Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13.

On Thursday, Dane appeared in a teaser for an upcoming Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer, offering a deeply personal glimpse into how he’s coping with the diagnosis.

‘I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,’ he told Sawyer. ‘It’s not a dream.’

Eric Dane is speaking out for the first time since going public with his ALS diagnosis 

On Thursday, Dane appeared in a teaser for an upcoming Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer, offering a deeply personal glimpse into how he’s coping with the diagnosis

In the emotional 30-second preview, the Euphoria star is seen holding hands with Sawyer as they reflect on his journey. 

At one point, Dane is seen walking alongside Sawyer, their conversation taking a deeply personal turn. 

The actor becomes visibly emotional, wiping away tears as he opens up, declaring, ‘I don’t think this is the end of my story. I don’t feel like this is the end of me.’ 

Two months ago, Dane released a statement about his condition, expressing gratitude for the strong support system he has in place. 

‘I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter,’ he said.

‘I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week. 

‘I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.’ 

It’s still unclear whether Dane has finished filming for the third season of the hit HBO series, which also stars Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney. 

‘I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,’ he told Sawyer. ‘It’s not a dream’

At one point, Eric Dane is seen walking alongside Diane Sawyer under the sun, their conversation taking a deeply personal turn

The actor becomes visibly emotional, wiping away tears as he opens up, declaring, ‘I don’t think this is the end of my story. I don’t feel like this is the end of me’

The heartbreaking health news came shortly after Dane and his estranged wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart , 53, decided to call off their divorce after seven years apart; The pair share two daughters — Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13;( seen with their girls in 2016)

Gayheart seen with her and Dane’s two daughters Billie Beatrice Dane, 15, and Georgia Geraldine Dane, 13 

Eric announced his diagnosis one day after Rebecca said they were ‘best of friends,’ adding: ‘We are really close. We are great co-parents.’

She explained that she and Eric ‘really figured out the formula to staying a family and I think our kids are benefiting greatly from it and we are as well,’ via E! News.

‘I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success. We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years and we had two beautiful kids so I think that’s a successful relationship, and that’s how we look at it.’ 

In March. it emerged that Eric and Rebecca had performed a stunning U-turn and called off their divorce, seven years into the process.

Rebecca filed to dissolve their marriage of 14 years in 2018, but the pair stayed notably amicable as they raised their daughters.

Rebecca and Eric were given ‘final notice’ in January that their divorce might be tossed if they neglected to advance the process, according to In Touch Weekly.

Eric was spotted that month strolling arm in arm with actress Priya Jain, 27, igniting speculation he had moved on to a new romance.

Priya and Eric first set off a round of relationship rumors this past November when they were glimpsed out on a sushi date in West Hollywood. 

It’s still unclear whether Dane has finished filming for the third season of the hit HBO series, which also stars Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney

Rebecca and Eric tied the knot in 2004, two years before he landed his fan favorite role as Dr. Mark Sloan aka ‘McSteamy’ on Grey’s Anatomy (pictured) 

Eric is pictured in a group shot for Grey’s Anatomy with his co-stars (from left) Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh 

Meanwhile, Rebecca was seen in February attending Chanel’s pre-Oscars party in Beverly Hills with restaurant tycoon Peter Morton, 77, a co-founder of Hard Rock Café and the son of the namesake of Morton’s Steakhouse.

Rebecca and Eric tied the knot in 2004, two years before he landed his fan favorite role as Dr. Mark Sloan aka ‘McSteamy’ on Grey’s Anatomy.

ALS, widely known in the U.S. as Lou Gehrig’s disease following the legendary baseball player’s death in 1941 at just 37, has claimed the lives of several high-profile figures in recent years.

Sandra Bullock’s longtime partner, Bryan Randall, passed away in 2023 after quietly battling the disease for three years. 

SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg also succumbed to ALS in 2018, just a year after revealing his diagnosis.

Famed physicist Stephen Hawking, one of the most well-known individuals to live with ALS, defied the odds by surviving more than 50 years with the condition before his death at age 76 in 2018.

In February, music icon Roberta Flack—known for classics like Killing Me Softly With His Song—died at 88 after revealing in 2022 that she had been diagnosed with ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS): Details of fatal disease there is no cure for

What is it? 

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurogenerative disorder which impacts the nerve cells in the spinal cord and the brain, according to the Mayo Clinic. It gets progressively worse and causes significant muscle control loss in people who have it. 

Treatment 

There is no cure for ALS and the disease is fatal, but it progresses at different speeds in patients. 

Symptoms

The first signs of ALS are twitching of the muscles, weaknesses of the limbs and problems with swallowing and speaking. Progressively, it deteriorates muscle control and impacts an individual’s ability to breathe, move, speak and eat.

ALS symptoms correspond with where nerve cells deteriorate in each person, and could lead to issues walking, tripping, and weakness of the knees, ankles and hands.

It can also lead to problems with muscle cramps and twitching in areas including one’s tongue, arms and shoulders. People with ALS have experienced untimely spells of laughter, tears and yawns, as well as changes to one’s thinking process or behavior, according to the clinic.

Risk factors 

Among the risk factors researchers have established for ALS include genetics, as about 10 percent of people diagnosed with it were passed down a gene from a relative, which is called hereditary ALS, according to the clinic. Kids of people who have hereditary ALS have a 50 percent chance of having the gene.

Age is also a factor as the risk of getting the disease trends up toward the age of 75, with the most common range of people who have it between 60 and 85. In terms of gender, men are diagnosed with a higher rate of ALS prior to the age of 65, according to the clinic.

Other factors that have been linked to ALS include smoking and exposure to toxic substances. The clinic reported that military personnel have been diagnosed with ALS at a higher rate.

Causes

There is no known cause of ALS, according to the Mayo Clinic, and heredity plays a factor in a small number of cases. 

Lou Gehrig was one of baseball’s preeminent stars while playing for the Yankees between 1923 and 1939. Known as ‘The Iron Horse,’ he played in 2,130 consecutive games before ALS forced him to retire. The record was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995 

Lou Gehrig’s Disease

As well as being known as ALS, it is frequently referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Lou Gehrig was a stalwart first baseman for the New York Yankees between 1923 and 1939. He was famous for his strength and durability, earning the nickname ‘The Iron Horse’ with a record-setting streak of 2,130 consecutive games.

In a July 4, 1939 speech on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium, the ballplayer famously said, ‘For the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.’

His popularity and fame transcended the sport of baseball. He died two years after his diagnosis on June 2, 1941.