Shonda Rhimes has shared why she understands the Oscars’ choice not to feature Eric Dane in the ceremony’s In Memoriam segment, even though he died just last month.
Eric Dane, widely recognised for playing Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy, died aged 53 following a battle with ALS.
He passed away on February 19, prompting fans around the world to post tributes and messages of support online.
But after the Oscars aired, some viewers said they were angry and confused that Dane’s name did not appear during the In Memoriam section.
Several recently deceased figures were included in the tribute, such as Home Alone star Catherine O’Hara, who died on January 7 2026, along with Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle, who were murdered on December 14, 2025.
The segment also referenced other high-profile deaths, with Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, and Diana Ladd all named during the ceremony.
It was reported that this year’s In Memoriam was lengthened to acknowledge as many people as possible, though a number of recognisable faces were still absent—among them Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek, as well as Dane.
Some fans speculated that the omission may have been linked to both actors being better known for television than film, despite having movie credits across their careers.
Shonda Rhimes is still in disbelief over Eric Dane's passing, sharing it was a "huge loss" for the Shondaland family. The 'Grey's Anatomy' creator also reacts to the #Oscars leaving Eric out of their In Memoriam segment. pic.twitter.com/YKZky6wUbA
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) March 16, 2026
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Rhimes was asked directly whether Dane should have been included, and she answered candidly.
She began by calling him an ‘incredible human being’ and said: “I still say is because it’s very hard for me to believe he’s gone.
“He was a huge loss for us. He was a huge loss for the Shondaland family, for the Grey’s Anatomy family.
“And honestly the people that he knew, he was just a wonderful giving guy that I don’t know that everybody understands how amazing he was.”
As the reporter pointed out that viewers had noticed Dane’s absence from the tribute, Rhimes appeared to catch him off guard with her view on whether the Oscars should have included him.
She said: “Well, he’s not a movie star, you know. And I feel like when the Emmys come around he will be, you know, immortalized the way he should be.
“You can’t fault the Oscars for the fact that they’re looking at movies and there were so many people who are lost but Eric was unique to television and I can’t wait to see what they do with him.“