EXCLUSIVE: Eric Dane Died Broke — How Vicious Disease Crippled TV Doc's Finances
Eric Dane died broke after a vicious disease devastated the TV doc's finances and career.
March 16 2026, Published 6:00 a.m. ET
Grey's Anatomy hunk Eric Dane racked up substantial medical bills during his courageous but futile fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a source close to the late star's family.
RadarOnline.com can reveal Dane – who played Grey's Dr. Mark 'McSteamy' Sloan on the ABC hospital drama – died on Feb. 19 at age 53 from the incurable neurodegenerative disease, which is known to ravage motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord and cause muscle weakness, atrophy and eventually paralysis and death.
Fundraiser Sparks Backlash After Death
Hailey Bieber and Brad Falchuk are among those who donated to a fundraiser for Eric Dane after he died from ALS at 53.
Following the Euphoria actor's passing – which came just 10 months after he revealed his diagnosis – friends launched an online fundraiser that's topped $425,000 for Dane's daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, whose mother is actress Rebecca Gayheart, 54.
Model turned makeup mogul Hailey Bieber, Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and producer Brad Falchuk, who spoke with Dane for his posthumously released interview on Netflix's Famous Last Words, all made five-figure donations to the cause.
However, some bitter observers characterized the effort as a greedy money grab, speculating Dane had earned big bucks in Hollywood, causing the source to jump to the family's defense and point out that no one is required to donate.
Van Der Beek Fundraiser Sparks Backlash
Mehcad Brooks defended James Van Der Beek's family after criticism over a $2.7 million fundraiser following the 'Dawson's Creek' star's cancer death.
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Days earlier, the grieving family of the late James Van Der Beek had faced similar complaints after a fundraiser for the widow and six kids of the Dawson's Creek alum raised over $2.7 million following the 48-year-old's cancer death. Those gripes grew louder amid claims that in January the family bought the $4.8 million Texas home they'd been renting for years.
Van Der Beek's friend Mehcad Brooks, known for his roles in And Just Like That, True Blood and Law & Order, fired back in a social media post against one critic, writing: "You have no idea the pain they went through."
A rep for Van Der Beek said friends helped the ailing performer secure a down payment for the Texas property through a trust.
