Eric Dane’s official cause of death has been released.
The “Grey’s Anatomy” star died of respiratory failure, per his death certificate obtained by People on Monday.
Additionally, his underlying cause of death was a result of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Dane tragically passed away Feb. 19, 10 months after announcing his ALS diagnosis. He was 53.
“With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” his family told Page Six in a statement.
“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.”
Before his death, the “Euphoria” star had been candid about his condition — “a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord” and results in a “loss of muscle control.”
In June 2025, during an interview with “Good Morning America,” Dane revealed his symptoms first manifested as weakness in his right hand.
“I didn’t really think anything of it at the time,” he said about his initial dismissal. “I thought maybe I had been texting too much or my hand was fatigued. But a few weeks later, I noticed it had gotten a little worse.”
By September, he was photographed using a wheelchair to move through an airport in Washington, D.C.
Although he took on an acting job while struggling with ALS, Dane was forced to pull out of an ALS event in January due to complications of his condition.
At the time of his death, Dane was married to his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart. The two had called off their divorce in March 2025 after initially splitting seven years prior.
The duo had tied the knot in 2004 and shared daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14.
Gayheart, 54, explained their relationship in an essay for The Cut in December, explaining that she and Dane “haven’t lived in the same home for eight years” and had a “familial love.”
The “Jawbreaker” star stated that Dane has “dated other people” — and so has she — since filing for divorce in 2018.
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