Overview
- Leigh, speaking on the You Might Know Her From podcast on May 14, said she could not process the news at first and later broke down in tears on a flight home.
- She recalled learning of his passing while in Los Angeles for press and feeling the loss fully as she flew back to Nashville.
- Eric Dane died on February 19, 2026 at age 53 after amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a motor neuron disease he disclosed publicly in April 2025.
- His family said he spent his final days with close friends, his wife Rebecca Gayheart, and their daughters Billie and Georgia.
- Leigh had praised him in February for his kindness and devotion to his children, while colleagues highlighted his legacy from Grey’s Anatomy and his advocacy for ALS awareness.