Eric Dane made devastating admission about his two daughters following ALS diagnosis

Eric Dane made a heartbreaking comment about his daughters after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

The devastating news broke today that the Grey’s Anatomy star has died aged 53, just 10 months after he went public with his diagnosis of the degenerative disease.

The actor, who was best known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan in the medical drama, is survived by his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.

His family announced the news of his passing in a statement to PEOPLE Magazine yesterday (19 February).

It reads: "With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS. He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world."

The statement continued: "Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight.

Dane is survived by two teenage daughters, Billie and Georgia (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

“He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”

Dane revealed his ALS diagnosis in April last year and, since then, has spent time raising awareness of the cruel disease.

For those who are unfamiliar, ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare degenerative form of motor neuron disease.

It affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causes loss of muscle control, and gets worse over time. Heartbreakingly, there is no cure.

In Dane’s first TV interview since receiving his diagnosis, back in June 2025, he emotionally opened up about how his teenage daughters would be affected by his death.

The actor was asked by ABC News’ Diane Sawyer: “How angry does the illness make you?”

He paused for a moment before responding with: “Very. I’m angry because, you know, my father was taken from me when I was young.

“And now, there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls while they’re really young.”

The actor talked about losing his own father at a young age (Good Morning America/YouTube)

He added, “I really, at the end of the day, all I wanna do is just spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can.”

In a 2014 interview with Gulf Times, Dane said of his father's death: "He was a Navy man and ended up becoming an architect and interior designer. He was a troubled soul.

"He died of a gunshot wound. My grandmother thinks it was an accident. Everybody’s got a different opinion on it. My mother raised two kids."

Looking back on the heartbreaking loss as an adult with children of his own, he added: “I never realised how cognizant and aware I was at the time until I had my own kids and I see how cogent Billie is at the age of four and think, ‘My God, this must have been devastating at the age of seven.’

"The awareness that I would’ve had at that age must’ve been devastating.”