Eric Dane Opens Up About ALS Battle and Emmy Awards Absence
Eric Dane has finally spoken out, explaining his absence from the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards while he continues his fight against ALS. He was originally slated to co-present with his erstwhile Grey’s Anatomy colleague, Jesse Williams.
Dane, aged 52, revealed in an interview published in the Washington Post on Thursday, October 2, that a brief period before the September awards ceremony, he experienced a loss of equilibrium in his kitchen, resulting in a fall.
“ALS is a cruel affliction. … Consequently, I found myself hospitalized during the Emmys, receiving sutures for a head injury,” Dane stated. “I forfeited an occasion I had eagerly anticipated. Reconnecting with Jesse and other colleagues, and the chance to present among my peers, would have been a memorable experience. I was quite disheartened by it, yet, as you know, it was beyond my control.”
Without Dane present, Williams, 44, shared with Entertainment Weekly that he had “an exceptionally enjoyable period” collaborating with him on the enduring ABC medical series.
Eric Dane's Frank Disclosures Regarding His Health Challenges
“He is unwavering,” Williams remarked. “The man simply possesses strength, and it is imperative, as men, to continue, you know, looking after ourselves, and he maintains an ideal equilibrium.”
Dane clarified that despite his preference for maintaining privacy regarding his illness after initial symptoms appeared in early 2024, he understood that he would ultimately need to disclose his situation publicly.
“It was never something I truly desired to do. It was something I felt compelled to undertake,” he commented. “Concealing what was transpiring became progressively challenging. So rather than allowing people to speculate, I simply revealed it. … And I have never witnessed a greater surge of affection and backing than I did subsequent to my announcement.”
The Euphoria star publicly disclosed his diagnosis in April, and two months afterward, he appeared with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America, elaborating further by stating he had started losing mobility in his right arm.
Eric Dane Intends to Persist With ‘Euphoria’ Filming Despite ALS Diagnosis Report
“My left half remains operational. My right side, [which serves as my dominant side], has entirely ceased function,” he elucidated. “[My left arm] is deteriorating. I anticipate perhaps in a couple, or a few more months, I will lose use of my left. … My legs are a concern for me.”
Dane persists with his professional commitments while confronting the illness, concurrently with season 3 of Euphoria being in development. Concurrently, he endeavors to assist fellow ALS sufferers.
“I have maintained transparency regarding specific aspects of my life. This particular matter I felt obliged to disclose to the public,” Dane conveyed to the Washington Post. “I don't truly have a vested interest, so to speak, in concern over public perception of me. This is more about: ‘What assistance can I offer? How can I contribute meaningfully?’”
“Without intending to be excessively somber,” he further stated. “However, you know, should my time come, I intend to depart having aided someone.”
