Overview
- In a CNN conversation at the New Orleans Book Festival, Shepard said he first met Dane in Alcoholics Anonymous and immediately disliked him.
- He said they nearly fought in a parking lot after Dane allegedly threatened a younger member, before others stepped in.
- Shepard said repeated AA meetings over about two years led them to share painful histories, including Dane’s father dying by suicide, which helped them connect.
- He recalled Dane later saying, “I think I’ve come to fall in love with Dax,” and he praised Dane for becoming a visible face of ALS as his strength faded.
- Dane, known for Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria, died Feb. 19 at 53 after revealing an ALS diagnosis in April 2025, and a short film about his final months was set to premiere April 12.