Actor Eric Dane Dies at 53, Posthumous Memoir Details ALS Battle
E! News reported that actor Eric Dane died at 53 after a year-long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. His posthumous memoir, excerpted in several outlets, recounts that a loss of hand coordination while eating sushi led to his ALS diagnosis, which he disclosed publicly in April 2025 (HuffPost).
The book also details extensive drug use in his twenties and the family incident that preceded his death (Page Six). In the memoir, Dane describes a near-drowning episode in 2025 during a vacation in Antigua, from which his daughter Georgia rescued him (Page Six), and an earlier 2024 near-drowning that highlighted his disease progression (TMZ). Rebecca Gayheart, his wife, spoke about caring for him during his illness and coping with his passing (ABC News).
