Eric Dane Reportedly Stepped Down From Emmy Appearance Last Minute

The highly anticipated "Grey's Anatomy" reunion at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards did not take place due to Eric Dane's absence.

The actor, famously known for portraying Dr. Mark Sloan, also known as McSteamy, on the ABC series, was set to reunite with his former co-star, Jesse Williams, at the award ceremony. Unfortunately, sources claimed he pulled out at the last minute.

Eric Dane's appearance at the event was more than a reunion of the two hottest characters from the medical drama series; it was also the actor's return to the spotlight. His presence would have marked his first major public appearance since revealing his ALS diagnosis in April.

Fans were shocked to see Williams take the stage solo on Sunday, September 14, at the Emmy Awards without Dr. McSteamy. He presented the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series without mentioning the ABC program or Dane's absence.

Williams and Dane were meant to honor the series, which is heading into its 22nd season. However, the show would have celebrated its 20th anniversary at the event, since it first launched as a midseason replacement in March 2005.

Sources alleged that Dane pulled out at the last minute on Sunday, cancelling his "Grey's Anatomy" reunion with Williams and his first major awards show appearance since publicizing his  ALS diagnosis, per Deadline. The actor played Dr. Mark Sloan on the series for 6 seasons from 2006 to 2012.

Although Williams did not mention Dane while presenting the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, he honored his former co-star during the event's red carpet. The TV personality raved about their longtime relationship during "Live From E!: 2025 Emmys," saying:

"We had a really great run. The plastics posse. We had a great following, and I loved working with him. You know, on and off screen, that's my brother."

Besides reuniting with Williams at the event, Dane was scheduled to meet another co-star from a different series. The Blast shared that he would have experienced an "Euphoria" reunion with Colman Domingo, who plays the recovering drug addict Ali on the HBO series.

While the reason for Dane's absence at the Emmys remains unclear, it comes five months after he announced his ALS diagnosis. At the time, he declared the severely debilitating condition would not stop him from acting.

"I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to the set of Euphoria next week," Dane raved.

ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually robbing individuals of their ability to move, speak, and even breathe, per Mayo Clinic.

Dane wasn't the first celebrity to be hit by the progressive illness, as stars like actor Aaron Lazar, singer John Driskell Hopkins, former NFL star Eric Stevens, and the late entertainers Roberta Flack, Stephen Hawking, and Kenneth Mitchell battled ALS.

A year before his anticipated appearance at the Emmys, Dane addressed the end of his time on "Grey's Anatomy." He revealed his exit was involuntary, noting he believed he was let go for two significant reasons.

Dane confessed on the "Armchair Expert" podcast that he had been four years sober before joining the medical drama series in 2006. However, the pressure of the spotlight caused him to return to his dark past.

The actor stressed that ABC did not fire him because of his addiction to prescription drugs; however, he believed his sobriety issues "definitely didn't help." Dane explained that he became "very expensive for the network" after spending six years on the show and was cut off.

Two months after publicizing his ALS diagnosis, The Blast reported that Dane confessed he was angry about his progressive condition. He explained that his father died when he was young and feared putting his children through the same traumatic experience.

Dane revealed he noticed something was wrong with his body when he began experiencing weakness in his left arm. The issue soon spread to his right, raising concerns about losing his legs to ALS.

He realized the severity of his situation during a snorkeling trip where his mobility failed him. Dane admitted that the incident made him conscious of his declining mobility, and he could feel the end coming, which was heartbreaking to stomach.

Here's to hoping Eric Dane's absence from the Emmys wasn't health-related.