Eric Dane was forced to miss an appearance at the ALS Network\u2019s Champions for Cures and Care Gala due to the \u2018physical realities\u2019 of his recent ALS diagnosis<\/b>
\nEric Dane was forced to miss an appearance at the ALS Network\u2019s Champions for Cures and Care Gala on Saturday, January 24, due to ongoing challenges related to his ALS diagnosis.
\u201cThe ALS Network has been informed that Eric Dane had hoped to join us this evening to accept his Advocate of the Year Award, but due to the physical realities of ALS, he is not well enough to attend,\u201d a spokesperson for the ALS Network told The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday.
The group\u2019s statement continued, \u201cWe remain deeply grateful for his courage, advocacy, and continued commitment to the ALS community, and we honor him fully this evening with our profound respect and support. Aaron Lazar, Broadway star and Grammy Award nominee, will accept the award on his behalf.\u201d
The charitable organization announced in September 2025 that Dane, 53, would receive the Advocate of the Year Award at its annual Pasadena, California, ceremony. The ALS Network credited Dane with bringing \u201cinternational attention to ALS\u201d through his \u201cleadership and compassion\u201d ever since he was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease.
\u201cThis award is more than an honor,\u201d Dane said at the time. \u201c[The award is] a reflection of the incredible strength and courage I see in the ALS community every day.\u201d
Dane went public with his ALS diagnosis in April 2025. (ALS \u2014 also commonly known as Lou Gehrig\u2019s disease or motor neuron disease \u2014 is a \u201cnervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord\u201d and causes loss of muscle control over time, according to the Mayo Clinic.)
\u201cI have been diagnosed with ALS,\u201d he told People at the time. \u201cI am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.\u201d
He continued, \u201cI feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to [the] set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.\u201d
In addition to shooting Euphoria season 3, Dane guest starred on Brilliant Minds in November 2025 to play a firefighter and 9\/11 hero struggling to share his ALS diagnosis with his family. He promoted the TV role by opening up on a Giving Tuesday panel with I AM ALS about the impact of his diagnosis on his working life.
\u201cI\u2019m not about to concede my purpose to some disease. I just am not capable of doing that,\u201d he explained, before later adding: \u201cI have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time, on any given day. I don\u2019t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying. And I was a little bit pleasantly surprised when I realized that I wasn\u2019t built like that, because I thought for sure that was gonna be me.\u201d
He added, \u201cI think it\u2019s imperative that I share my journey with as many people as I can because I don\u2019t feel like my life is about me anymore.\u201d
During that same panel, Dane stressed that his family\u2019s support had been crucial as he grappled with uncertainties in his future.
\u201cObviously, I have a family at home and they\u2019re the first priority, but this is such a big deal to me to make sure that people are aware of what ALS is and what it\u2019s about and, more importantly, what we can do to combat it and improve the landscape,\u201d he said.
Dane and his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart, share two daughters: Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13. (Gayheart filed for divorce from Dane in February 2018 but withdrew the legal petition in March 2025. Dane made his red carpet debut with girlfriend Janell Shirtcliff at the Los Angeles premiere of his show Countdown in June, while Gayheart has been linked to billionaire Peter Morton.)
Dane has been candid about the progression of ALS. He confirmed on Good Morning America in June 2025 that he only had \u201cone functioning arm\u201d because his left side \u201ccompletely stopped working\u201d and was later photographed using a wheelchair that October.<\/p>\n