Eric Dane, known for his role in Grey’s Anatomy, has announced that he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
The 52-year-old actor from California has disclosed his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a progressive condition affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, as described by the Mayo Clinic.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Dane stated: “I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”
The former Charmed star has been married to Rebecca Gayheart since 2004, and they have two children together, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13.
Dane, who plays the patriarch of the Jacobs family on HBO’s popular series Euphoria, is preparing to begin filming the third season on April 14. He has committed to being involved in the production.
“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” he added. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the famous baseball player who had it, impacts muscle control. It starts with minor symptoms like twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, or issues with swallowing or speaking, and gradually affects the muscles needed for movement, speech, eating, and breathing.
The disease is life-threatening and currently has no cure, with individuals typically living three to five years after diagnosis, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. However, some patients can live for many years.
Dane’s diagnosis was revealed only weeks after Gayheart filed to dismiss her divorce from him.
In 2018, after 14 years of marriage, the 53-year-old filed for divorce from Dane, citing irreconcilable differences, as reported by US Weekly.
Prior to Dane’s ALS announcement, Gayheart shared with E! News that the couple has been prioritizing their family.
“We are best of friends. We are really close. We are great coparents,” she said. “We really figured out the formula to staying a family and I think our kids are benefiting greatly from it and we are as well.”
“I think it’s important to not look at a relationship that ends as a failure. It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success,” she added. “We were married for, I mean, we are still married, but together for 15 years and we had two beautiful kids so I think that’s a successful relationship, and that’s how we look at it.”
Among other notable individuals diagnosed with ALS are British physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, singer Joe Bonsall, actor Aaron Lazar, musician John Driskell Hopkins, American football fullback Eric Stevens, singer and pianist Roberta Flack, and Canadian actor Kenneth Mitchell.