Patrick Dempsey recalls Eric Dane's final days before ALS death

Patrick Dempsey spoke about Eric Dane on Virgin Radio UK’s "The Chris Evans Breakfast Show," saying he woke up saddened by the news and felt especially for Dane’s children. Dane shared daughters Billie and Georgia with estranged wife Rebecca Geyheart; the pair married in 2004, Geyheart filed for divorce in 2018, and the couple called it off in March 2025.

Dempsey said they had been corresponding and that he had texted Dane about a week earlier. Friends who visited found him losing his ability to speak, bedridden and struggling to swallow, with his quality of life deteriorating rapidly. He remembered Dane as the funniest man and a joy to work with, bringing fun to the Grey’s Anatomy set and getting along with him instantly.

Recalling Dane’s first appearance as Mark Sloan in Season 2 in 2006, Dempsey laughed about his entrance from the bathroom wrapped in a towel and said they shared a mutual respect.

United Kingdom

patrick dempsey, eric dane, als, grey's anatomy, mark sloan, chris evans, virgin radio, rebecca geyheart, divorce, children