Janell Shirtcliff, Eric Dane’s girlfriend, has paid tribute to the Grey’s Anatomy actor on social media following reports of his death last week.
Dane was reported to have died at the age of 53 on February 19 after a short battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
According to the Mayo Clinic, ALS is a disease of the nervous system that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
The illness progresses over time and can ultimately interfere with the muscles required for movement, speech, eating, and breathing.
Dane was diagnosed with the degenerative condition in April 2025 and had spoken openly about his health, using his platform to increase awareness of ALS.
In the days after the news, Shirtcliff shared a series of posts featuring memories from their time together, compiling photos and videos of shared moments.
One image shows Dane sitting under the shade of a palm tree, while another captures him kissing Shirtcliff’s shoulder.
She also included clips of the pair singing and driving together, alongside a reel featuring Shirtcliff’s daughter, whose name has not been made public.
At the time of his death, Dane was still married to Rebecca Gayheart, though the pair had separated in 2017.
They had been preparing to divorce, but Gayheart later withdrew the filing after Dane’s 2025 ALS diagnosis.
The former couple share two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, and were together for 15 years before splitting.
Gayheart recently wrote about supporting Dane, including the early signs that first prompted concern.
“His symptoms started maybe a year prior,” she explained in an essay for The Cut.
“When we would have a meal with the kids, he’d say things like, ‘Something’s wrong with my hand’.
“He was struggling to use his chopsticks, dropping his food. That was when he started seeing doctors. He was initially diagnosed with a few other things, but he had this sinking feeling that it was something more serious. And I was like, ‘No, it’s not. I promise you it’s not. I can feel this! It’s gonna be okay.'”
Friends have also launched a GoFundMe to help cover future costs and provide longer-term security for Dane’s daughters, who were frequently described as the centre of his world.
The total raised has now passed $277,000, helped by a major donation from Euphoria director Sam Levinson and his wife Ashley. Their $27,000 gift is currently listed as the campaign’s largest single contribution.