Eric Dane will receive a public memorial due to an effort spearheaded by fans amid fury over his snub from the In Memoriam segment at The Oscars on Sunday.
The talented actor died at age 53 on Thursday, February 19 amid a courageous battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Dane’s family has been moved by the tributes and condolences sent from around the world and now a celebration of life is being planned a source close to Rebecca Gayheart, 54, told TMZ on Tuesday.
The gathering will take place for the talented actor’s fans as their aim is to make Dane ‘smile and feel loved and know that his life was not in vain.’
This comes days after Oscar viewers were left upset over shocking omissions -including Dane – during the emotional In Memoriam segment at the 98th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday.
A number of late Hollywood stars were honored at the ceremony including Diane Keaton, Catherine O’Hara and Rob Reiner as their former castmates offered moving tributes on stage.
Eric Dane will receive a public memorial due to an effort spearheaded by fans amid fury over his snub from the In Memoriam segment at The Oscars on Sunday
However, others that were not among the list along with Dane were James Van Der Beek and Brigitte Bardot.
Dane appeared in shows including Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria while also starring in movies such as Bad Boys: Ride Or Die (2024).
Now, a source for Gayheart has told TMZ that the family were ‘saddened’ to not see him included the main broadcast but they understand the omission.
The source said: ‘It was a year of profound loss for the industry.’
Earlier this month, Dane’s cause of death was confirmed as respiratory failure according to his death certificate.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was listed as the underlying cause of death.
Respiratory failure is a known complication of ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, gradually impacting muscle control and breathing.
The actor was widely recognized for his role as Dr. Mark ‘McSteamy’ Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy and, more recently, for his portrayal of Cal Jacobs on HBO’s Euphoria.
The talented actor died at age 53 on Thursday, February 19 amid a courageous battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); seen in 2022
Dane’s family has been moved by the tributes and condolences sent from around the world and now a celebration of life is being planned a source close to Rebecca Gayheart, 54, told TMZ on Tuesday (the pair are seen in June 2017)
Dane is seen in Grey’s Anatomy
Months before his death, Dane secretly recorded an interview for Netflix in which he left a deeply personal message for his two daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.
In the wake of his passing, Netflix added the new documentary to its library, giving fans an intimate look at Dane’s final reflections.
The 50-minute film, titled Famous Last Words: Eric Dane, was recorded in secret with the understanding it would only be released posthumously, according to reports.
Toward the end of the interview with Gwyneth Paltrow’s husband Brad Falchuk, Dane addressed his daughters directly, speaking to the camera with them in mind: ‘Billie and Georgia, these words are for you. I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried.’
He continued, ‘Overall, we had a blast, didn’t we?’
Dane went on to explain that he wanted to share four final lessons he had learned from his illness and asked them to listen closely.
‘First, live now, right now in the present. It’s hard, but I learned to do that,’ Dane said.
‘For years, I would wander off mentally, lost in my head for long chunks of time, wallowing in worry and self-pity, shame and doubt. I replayed decisions, second-guessed myself. “I shouldn’t have done this. I never should’ve done that.” No more.’
According to his death certificate, obtained by People , the Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria actor died of respiratory failure
Months before his death, Dane secretly recorded an interview for Netflix in which he left a deeply personal message for his two daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14 (pictured with Billie and Georgia in May 2024)
Dane said that ‘out of pure survival,’ he was forced to stay in the present.
‘Second, fall in love. Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well. But fall in love with something,’ Dane said.
‘Find your passion, your joy. Find the thing that makes you wanna get up in the morning.’
He told his daughters he’d found his love for acting at their age and urged them to pursue their passions fully.
‘Third, choose your friends wisely. Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them,’ the dad of two said. ‘The best of them will give back to you. No judgement. No conditions. No questions asked.’’
Dane said he was profoundly grateful to the friends who ‘stepped up’ during his illness.
‘Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words,’ he concluded; seen in 2017
‘Just show up. And love your friends with everything you have. Hang on to them. They will entertain you, guide you support you and some will save you,’ he said.
‘Finally, fight with every ounce of your being and with dignity. When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight,’ he said. ‘Never give up. Fight until your last breath. This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit.’
‘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.’
‘I hope I’ve demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight girls, and hold your heads high,’ he continued, his voice breaking.
‘Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words.’
The actor was widely recognized for his role as Dr. Mark ‘McSteamy’ Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy and, more recently, for his portrayal of Cal Jacobs on HBO’s Euphoria; seen in 2025
In November, Gayheart spoke about guiding their daughters through Dane’s battle with ALS on the Broad Ideas podcast.
She said she’s been reminding them that ‘we show up for people no matter what’ as their father’s illness progresses.
‘He is our family. He is your father,’ she told them after Dane revealed his diagnosis in April.
‘We show up, and we try to do it with some dignity and some grace and just get through it.’
In November, Gayheart spoke about guiding their daughters through Dane’s battle with ALS and teaching them to ‘show up for people no matter what’ (seen in 2019)
Still, she admitted at the time that her relationship with Dane was ‘super complicated.’
‘We’ve been separated for eight years. The kids live with me 100 percent of the time,’ she explained.
‘There’s been lots of just stuff, other stuff, but I try to stay optimistic about it all.’
‘I’m trying to learn from it and [be a] role model for them [for] how to go through something like this, which is really hard,’ she added.
‘I don’t know if I’m doing it well or if I’m doing it in the wrong way or the right way. I’m just showing up. I’m showing up, and I’m trying to be there for them. I guess time will tell.’
