Eric Dane Recalls Heartbreaking Moment Daughter Rescued Him Amid ALS Battle
The ‘Euphoria’ actor shares two daughters, Billie and Georgia, with actress Rebecca Gayheart.
Eric Dane is opening up about a deeply emotional moment in his ongoing battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rare and progressive neurodegenerative disease.
In a candid interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America aired Monday, June 16, the 52-year-old Euphoria star revealed how a recent experience in the ocean highlighted the severity of his condition—and the powerful bond he shares with his daughter.
Once a competitive swimmer and polo player, Dane shared that he found himself in distress while swimming with one of his daughters.
“When I jumped into the ocean that day and realized I couldn’t swim—couldn’t generate enough power to get myself back to the boat—I thought, ‘Oh God,’” Dane recalled. “And in that moment, I realized I’m not safe in the water anymore.”
In a voice-over, Sawyer described how one of Dane’s daughters had to leap into action and pull him back to safety. “She dragged me back in the boat,” Dane confirmed.
Sawyer asked what they said to each other afterward. “I was breaking down in tears,” Dane said. “I made sure she got back in the water with her friend and continued snorkeling with the guide, but I was just heartbroken.”
Dane shares daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13, with his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart.
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness, paralysis, and eventually the loss of the ability to speak, eat, walk, and breathe. According to the Mayo Clinic, while most patients live three to five years after diagnosis, some live much longer. There is currently no cure.
Dane first revealed his diagnosis in April in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE:
“I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he shared. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Although Gayheart filed for divorce in 2018, recent court documents show that she filed to dismiss the petition in March 2025 without prejudice. The couple now describe themselves as close co-parents and supportive partners.
“We are best of friends. We are really close,” Gayheart told E! News in an interview just one day before Dane’s diagnosis became public. “We are great co-parents. I think it’s important not to view a relationship that ends as a failure.”
“It’s just a season. It wasn’t a failure. It was a huge success,” she added. “We were together for 15 years, and we had two beautiful kids. That’s a successful relationship, and that’s how we look at it.”
