ERIC DANE'S MEMOIR RECOUNTS MISSED HUG WITH DAUGHTER

Eric Dane wrote in his posthumous memoir that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) left him unable to hug his daughter Billie after a ballet performance in December 2025. Billie had appeared in a production of The Nutcracker. In an excerpt from My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, Dane addressed her directly: “Billie, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I can't wrap my arms around you.” He wrote that they cried together after the performance. Dane died on 19 February 2026.

Dane said ALS had impaired movement in his hands. He had usually hugged Billie after her performances, according to the memoir. Dane and Rebecca Gayheart also had a younger daughter, Georgia. In a statement after his death, his family said Gayheart, their daughters and friends had spent his final days with him. Dane did not attend the Emmy Awards in January because he was too unwell.

The memoir is due for publication on 3 November and covers Dane's acting career, recovery from addiction and experience with ALS. He appeared in Grey's Anatomy, Euphoria and Charmed during a career that lasted 35 years. His family said he had advocated for ALS awareness and research after his diagnosis. Gayheart said in September that both daughters were in secondary school and that she was staying close to them. “You know, we’re hanging in there,” she said, adding that the family was doing its best.