Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane has heartbreakingly revealed that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
ALS, which is known in some countries as motor neurone disease, is a rare and incurable degenerative condition that impairs the nervous system over time and causes the muscles to increasingly suffer from paralysis.
About half of ALS patients have a life expectancy of three years after the initial onset of symptoms, though some can survive for decades.
‘I have been diagnosed with ALS,’ Eric, 52, said in a statement to People. ‘I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.’
The news comes a month after Eric and his wife Rebecca Gayheart – with whom he shares daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13 – called off their divorce.
‘I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,’ said Eric, a longstanding star of the HBO series. ‘I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.’
Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane has heartbreakingly revealed that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); pictured last May
ALS has been colloquially known in America as Lou Gehrig’s disease ever since it claimed the life of the beloved baseball player in 1941 when he was just 37.
Sandra Bullock’s longtime love Bryan Randall succumbed to ALS in 2023 after a three-year battle, and SpongeBob Squarepants creator Stephen Hillenburg also died of the condition in 2018 just one year after announcing his diagnosis.
Stephen Hawking was another sufferer of ALS, living with the illness for more than half a century before dying at the age of 76 in 2018.
Just two months ago, R&B diva Roberta Flack – whose hit singles included Killing Me Softly With His Song – died aged 88 after sharing publicly in 2022 that she had developed ALS.
Oscar-winning English actor David Niven was diagnosed with ALS in 1980 and died three years later at 73, while The Right Stuff star Sam Shepard lost his life to complications from the illness in 2017, also aged 73.
Former NFL player Steve Gleason is still living with ALS after making his diagnosis public in 2011, three years on from his retirement from football.
The cause of ALS is a process called neurodegeneration, in which motor neurones – specialist nerve cells in the brain and spine – begin to malfunction.
Most people with ALS only start exhibiting symptoms in their 60s, though in very rare cases the condition can develop in people as early as their teenage years.
Early symptoms can include weakness in one limb that then spreads to a different one, or difficulty swallowing, or slurred speech, via Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Eric is pictured in a group shot for Grey’s Anatomy with his co-stars (from left) Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey and Sandra Oh
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)
Rebecca filed to dissolve their marriage of 14 years in 2018, but the pair have stayed notably amicable as they raise their daughters Billie, 14, and Georgia, 13; all pictured 2016
Eric announced his diagnosis one day after Rebecca said they were ‘best of friends,’ adding that they were ‘really close’ and acted as ‘great coparents’
Over time, patients may start falling down, suffering from fatigue, losing motor skills, laughing or crying uncontrollably or feeling their muscles twitch and cramp.
When the condition advances even further, someone with ALS can experience paralysis and have difficulty with functions as basic as swallowing or breathing.
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.
A month ago, 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 Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13.
They dragged their feet on finalizing the split for so long that Rebecca was repeatedly warned her case might be dismissed altogether.
(from left) Sarah Drew, Eric Dane, Sara Ramirez, Justin Chambers, Jessica Capshaw, Chyler Leigh, Patrick Dempsey, Ellen Pompeo, James Pickens Jr., Sandra Oh, Kevin McKidd, Chandra Wilson, Jesse Williams and Kim Raver are all pictured in a publicity still for Grey’s Anatomy
Eric and Billie are pictured in a 2022 snap that Rebecca posted to Instagram of a ‘family vacay’ they enjoyed in Europe together
The duo were seen shopping together with their children during the COVID-19 lockdowns, raising further questions about the state of their relationship.
Eric was seen on more than one date with a 27-year-old actress in recent months, while Rebecca, 53, was out with a 77-year-old mogul in February.
However in an unexplained development, Rebecca filed to dismiss her divorce from Eric this March 5, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
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 an actress called 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.
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.
Rebecca stood by Eric through various personal problems, including his rehab stay in 2011; pictured in 2017 the year before she filed to end the marriage
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.
They stayed together through the scandal that erupted five years into their marriage when a home video leaked of them frolicking naked with an ex-beauty queen.
Rebecca stood by Eric through various personal problems, including his rehab stay in 2011 to wean himself off the pain medication he had begun taking for an injury.
Six years later in 2017, Eric entered treatment for depression, resulting in a filming pause on his action drama series The Last Ship.
The following year, Rebecca filed for divorce on grounds of irreconcilable differences, and the pair agreed on joint custody of their daughters with Eric paying alimony.
Rebecca, who acted infrequently after having children, said a few months after her divorce filing that she wanted to start working again.
‘I think that as a female you need to be able to always take care of of yourself and never depend on a man,’ she told Us Weekly. ‘I’m going back to work and I think it’s partly because I want my daughters to see me work.’
She explained that she and Eric were ‘doing our best’ to co-parent their children, acknowledging: ‘It isn’t easy. But we are trying and we are committed.’
By June 2019 Rebecca was informed that her divorce case was in danger of being thrown out, Entertainment Tonight reported citing court documents.
‘If you fail to take the appropriate steps in your case, the court may dismiss your case for delay in prosecution,’ she was told in what was her third warning.
It then emerged on New Year’s Day 2020 that their divorce was still pending and they had not scheduled any hearings, according to The Blast.
The last step they took in their divorce before Rebecca filed to throw it out this March was reportedly an exchange of preliminary financial information in 2019.
