Tragic Details About Former Grey's Anatomy Star Eric Dane

HBO's hit show "Euphoria" deals with a group of teenagers who have lives filled with drama and trauma ranging from addiction to gender identity issues, and plenty of sexcapades. For one of it's adults stars, Eric Dane, some of those storylines may hit too close too home. Tragic details of Dane's life include loss, addiction, scandal, and health problems that have threatened to derail both his personal and professional life. Dane plays Cal Jacobs, father of Nate Jacobs, played by heartthrob Jacob Elordi. His character leads a secret life, which is something that Dane told Glamour, was familiar territory. "I understand what it's like to lead a double life. To have secrets and to have to live keeping those secrets from people," he said. "I've certainly had my struggles with alcoholism, drug addiction, mental health, and I know what it's like to have to put up a facade and have an external experience not match the internal experience." 

Dane shot to fame when he stepped out of the shower on "Grey's Anatomy," wearing nothing but a towel. His role as the hunky plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan, known simply as "McSteamy," set the stage for a career that seemed unstoppable. Even megastar George Clooney was impressed with Dane, telling the New York Times, "He's good-looking, and he has a sense of humor. That's rare." With his stunning looks and devilish charm, it seemed that Dane was poised for an unstoppable career but, while he continues to work steadily, he has experienced some big bumps on the road to success. 

Bravery was a lesson that Eric Dane was forced to learn at a young age. When he was just seven years old, long before all the "Grey's Anatomy fame," Dane's father passed away. "He was a Navy man and ended up becoming an architect and interior designer, Dane told Gulf Times. "He was a troubled soul." On an episode of "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard," Dane, told the host that his father died by suicide, but he shared with Gulf Times that not everyone agreed with that assessment. "He died of a gunshot wound. My grandmother thinks it was an accident. Everybody's got a different opinion on it," he said. Dane, whose parents were separated at the time of his father's death, said he and his father were close, and often enjoyed fishing together. "I remember my father very well, " he said. "I loved my father." 

Not only was he grieving the death of his father, but young Dane was also trying to keep a promise to his mother to be brave, and to step into his new role as "the man of the house."  As he was learning to adjust, life dealt Dane another devastating blow. His grandmother, with whom he and his mother lived, died from a sudden aneurysm just four months after Dane had buried his father. Those two back-to-back losses set the tone for much of Dane's life. "It teaches you, Oh, don't really trust anything," he said. "Everything can go away in a second."

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Childhood trauma can lead to grownup issues, and for Eric Dane, the death of his father manifested in what he described on the podcast "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard" as an inability to connect with other males. "I think it's because I never had anybody to show me how to interact with people of the same sex," he mused. To deal with that void, Dane explained that he began trying too hard to fit in. "I was whatever I thought you wanted me to be," he said. "I overcompensated in a lot of ways."

In high school, Dane discovered he had both a talent and a passion for water polo, and the sport became an outlet for the teen. "This was actually good for me because I was a really great water polo player, and that's all I wanted to do," he said. While he excelled at his sport, Dane struggled academically. "I just couldn't focus and settle down, and I didn't have great study habits," he admitted. By his junior year it became clear that his grades would prohibit him from playing water polo in college, so Dane turned to a different extracurricular activity to find connection. "I got into smoking marijuana," he confessed to Shepard. "I didn't really like it, but the people I was hanging with really enjoyed it. So I did what they did."  

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With his confident, sexy swagger, rocking body, and handsome face, It's easy to see why Eric Dane found a niche playing the oversexed bad boy. As Dr. Mark Sloan, he bedded countless women in the "Grey's Anatomy" timeline, and he continued to be cast in different iterations of that character in subsequent roles. These included his part in "The Last Ship" and movies like "Marley & Me." But when Marie Claire labeled him "Hollywood's latest go-to Lothario," Dane, who was four years deep in his marriage to "Dead Like Me" cast member Rebecca Gayheart at the time, swore it wasn't an accurate description. "It's so not who I am," he laughed, and indicated that he and Gayheart were homebodies. But perhaps he doth protest too much, because it wasn't long after that interview that a sex tape starring Dane, his wife, and former Miss Teen USA Kari Ann Peniche naked in a tub together was leaked to the public. 

The couple released a statement via their rep Marty Singer (per People), who said the video should not be viewed as a sex tape as it showed "a private, consensual moment involving a married couple, shot several years ago, which was never intended to be seen by the public." The video was allegedly filmed in Peniche's bedroom and featured Dane and his wife in various states of undress. Gawker.com posted an uncensored version to its website and was slapped with a lawsuit by the couple for copyright infringement, which they won. 

It was the shot that broke the water cooler the next day as fans couldn't stop talking about Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Slone's nearly naked introduction on "Grey's Anatomy." What was supposed to be a one-and-done appearance generated so much attention that it earned Dane a permanent spot on the show, and in the public eye. While the role was not his first on a hit show (Dane had appeared on "Saved By the Bell,"  "Married with Children," and "Charmed," to name a few), it was far and away the most popular. It was a career-making move that led to almost instantaneous fame, and a lot of issues for the man with the abs seen 'round the world. 

Dane, who told Gulf Times that he used to be very into partying in his youth, was sober when he began working on "Grey's Anatomy" thanks to AA, but over the course of the show, he relapsed. In an interview on the podcast "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard. " he recalled telling his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, "I'm going to smoke a joint. And if the wheels ever come off this thing, I'll just go back to AA." That led to alcohol and eventually pills, but those weren't his only struggles. Hard as it may be to believe, Dane said he had body issues over being perceived as "hot." "So that was weird for me because I never saw myself as that," he told Shepard, and added that it felt fraudulent to him. "It was a real source of self doubt." 

The grind of being part of a weekly hit show isn't easy. There are early call times, pages of lines to memorize, and, of course, the drama that can take place behind the scenes. All that pressure can take a toll on an actor, and Eric Dane was no exception. Not only was he juggling the demands of his role as one of the hottest docs on prime time, he was also juggling his roles of husband and father. It proved to be too much and, not long after announcing that he and wife Rebecca Gayheart were expecting their second child, Dane checked himself into rehab. In a statement released by his rep (per People) it was revealed that "Actor Eric Dane voluntarily checked himself into a treatment facility to help him get off of pain medication that he was prescribed for a sports injury that he suffered over the recent hiatus. He reports back to work this week. Business as usual."  

This was not Dane's first time to get help for substance abuse. In an interview with Gulf Times, he reflected on his hard partying youth. "I don't have a (criminal) mug shot but I used to play around with some pretty serious stuff," he said. "I've been in rehab a couple of times."  In an interview with People, Dane looked back at some of the incidents in his past including his stints in rehab and expressed one big regret. "We've all made mistakes," he said. "My one regret is that I got the person I love most wrapped up in all that: Rebecca."

Fans mourned the loss of McSteamy when Eric Dane's character, Dr. Mark Sloan tragically died in the first episode of the ninth season of "Grey's Anatomy." For those who questioned the real reason why the actor left "Grey's Anatomy," Dane, who had played the hospital hearthrob since season two, offered some insight. "I was struggling," he admitted during an interview on the podcast "Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard." "They didn't let me go because of that, although it definitely didn't help," he added. During his stint on the show, Dane had once again started using drugs and alcohol, eventually checking himself into rehab for the addiction. "If you take the whole eight years on Grey's Anatomy, I was f***ed up longer than I was sober," he said. "And that's when things started going sideways for me." 

Despite being killed off the show, Dane had nothing but good things to say about its creator, Shonda Rimes. He told Shepard how she supported the actors and always had their backs both publicly and privately. In the end, though, she had to tell Dane that he was done. "It wasn't ceremoniously like, you're fired," he explained. "It was just like — You're not coming back." And while the decision wasn't an easy one to hear, Dane said he knew it had to happen. "I wasn't the same guy they had hired," he said. "So I had understood when I was let go."

You can't keep a good man down, and following his departure from "Grey's Anatomy," Eric Dane resurfaced as the lead on another hit show, "The Last Ship." The TNT series featured Dane as Admiral Tom Chandler, and at first it seemed like smooth sailing for the actor. Then he was hit with a wave of depression so big, it required him to take a leave from the show. "I took some time off — I was dealing with some depression, which was kind of odd to me," he said on "Today" per People. "I felt very conflicted about it because I didn't really feel like I had anything to be depressed about." 

The episode was not the first time the father-of-two had dealt with feelings of depression, but although he'd been there before and was able to manage it, Dane said that this time the experience was entirely different and he knew something was wrong. "That was a scary thing, when you wake up and you're like: 'I don't want to get out of bed,' " he recalled. "I was seeing these doctors thinking that there was something physically wrong with me, because I'd never felt like that." During his hiatus, Dane received treatment and said he is now on medication to manage his symptoms. "You've got to listen to your body," he said. "It's a very serious thing."

If you ever wondered whatever happened to Rebecca Gayheart, star of "Jawbreaker" and "Beverley Hills 90210," the answer is she married Eric Dane, had two daughters, and lived happily ever after. Well, sort of. It's true that Dane and Gayheart tied the knot, and had two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia. They stuck it out for 14 years before Gayheart, who had stood by her man throughout his bouts with depression and trips to rehab, finally called it quits and filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. In a statement to People, Dane said, "After 14 years together we have decided that ending our marriage is the best decision for our family."  He added, "We will continue our friendship and work as a team to co-parent our two beautiful girls as they are the most important thing in the world to us. We kindly ask that you respect our privacy during this time as we navigate the next phase of our lives."

What came next, or rather didn't come next, was unusual. The couple never divorced, even after the court warned them to speed things up or risk dismissal of their case. Instead, they remained in a mostly friendly separation for  seven years, even taking family vacations together. "My ex, Eric, and I, we are friends and we are doing our best to co-parent and maintain a family, even though we're not married," Gayheart told People. "Legally we're still married, but separated," she clarified. Now it seems they will stay that way as Gayheart requested to dismiss the divorce in March 2025. 

He may have played a doctor on television, but as of this publication, Eric Dane is playing the role of the patient in real life. In an exclusive interview with People, the "Euphoria" star revealed that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS,) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. "I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter," he said as he broke the news. Dane did not reveal his prognosis or what stage of the disease he is in, but it appears to be early enough that it won't disrupt his career. "I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week," he said. 

Dane, is one of many celebrities diagnosed with ALS, including the late singer Roberta Flack, Broadway star Aaron Lazar, and most notably, the late Stephen Hawking. ALS is a neurodegenerative condition that leads to muscle weakness that gets progressively worse and may affect movement, speech and breathing, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There are therapies and medications to manage the symptoms and slow the progression of the disease, but there is no cure as of this publication. Dane, who is no doubt taking some time to process the news with his doctors and loved ones, has requested some space to deal with what's to come. "I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time," he said.