Eric Dane Drops Brutal Health Update Amid ALS Battle

Eric Dane is opening up about his mental health amid his ongoing battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The TV personality has been vocal about his life with the neurodegenerative disease since announcing his diagnosis in April 2025. He has actively raised awareness about the condition, even starring as a firefighter with ALS on a medical series.

Eric Dane's recent confessions about his mental health follow the rave reviews he got for his performance on the TV show. His estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart, has also been open about supporting him through the health ordeal.

Dane recently reflected on playing a firefighter with ALS in an episode of "Brilliant Minds" while speaking in a virtual panel for Giving Tuesday.

He was joined by I AM ALS and Synapticure co-founders Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya, alongside the medical show's creator and executive producer, Michael Grassi, and consulting producer, Dr. Daniela Lamas, M.D.

The actor confessed that the hardest part about playing a character with ALS was separating the role's battles from his own challenges with the neurodegenerative disease. He made a shocking confession about his mental health amid his health ordeal, per PEOPLE, saying:

"I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day, I don't think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying."

Although Dane noted that he had no reason to be happy amid his battle with ALS, he wasn't the type to give in to negative thoughts. "I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realized that I wasn't built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me," he added.

Dane explained that he found his positive reaction to his health battle "very encouraging" because not everyone could have a "buoyant spirit in the face of something so horrible." On that note, he stressed that it was more important than ever to raise awareness about ALS.

The actor described himself as a "pretty selfish person," declaring that he wasn't the type to live his life for others, excluding his family. However, Dane came to understand that he couldn't stay quiet about his ALS battle because he had to raise awareness and push for solutions to help others in similar situations.

The Blast covered Dane's determination to raise awareness about ALS in October, reporting that he declared war on the neurodegenerative disease while speaking to California congressman Eric Swalwell. He met up with the politician alongside I Am ALS reps to discuss federal funding for the disease.

Dane told the congressman that he wouldn't give up despite his debilitating health battle, vowing to "ring every bell" with his two daughters. He wanted to witness their milestones from graduating college to getting married and even having kids.

"I wanna be there for all that. So, I'm gonna fight until the last breath on this one," Dane vowed. His bold declaration followed reports of his worsening condition, with an insider claiming the entertainer was putting on a brave face while slowly losing control of his body.

A month before Dane announced his ALS diagnosis, his estranged wife ended their years-long divorce. The former couple had tied the knot in 2004, welcoming two daughters, and enjoying a blissfully married life before Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018.

After calling off their divorce, Gayheart has been vocal about supporting Dane through his ALS battle while prioritizing their daughters. The Blast shared that she confessed to struggling with staying positive amid the daunting situation in an interview in November.

Gayheart noted that she didn't know if she was on the right path, but continued to show up each day for her loved ones, including Dane. She added that it was "particularly difficult," given her years-long estrangement from Dane. Nonetheless, she wouldn't stop supporting him.

Dane's performance as a firefighter with ALS on an episode of "Brilliant Minds" marked his return to acting after announcing his diagnosis. The Blast reported that his performance left many fans in tears because he had a neurodegenerative disease in real life.

Most comments applauded Dane's emotional performance, while some declared that no matter his condition, he would always be their "McSteamy." The nickname stemmed from his role as Mark Sloan on ABC's medical drama series, "Grey's Anatomy."

Fans weren't the only ones impressed by Dane's performance as showrunner Michael Grassi revealed the actor got a standing ovation from the film crew. Grassi recalled that after the episode wrapped up, everyone stood up to applaud Dane "for about 10 minutes."

Here's to hoping Eric Dane finds more reasons to stay happy amid his ALS battle!