Eric Dane Details Every Drug He Took During Height of Troubled Period in Posthumous Memoir
Eric Dane listed every drug he took during the height of his drug addiction in posthumous memoir.
Oct. 20 2026, Updated 5:30 p.m. ET
Eric Dane opened up about the extent of his drug addiction in his posthumous memoir by listing every substance he consumed, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The late actor, who passed away in February after a battle with ALS at age 53, admitted his 20s were overshadowed by his drug abuse.
'I Don't Think There’s a Drug I Didn't Try'
The late actor tried 'everything' when it came to drugs.
He wrote in his book: "I call that my dark period. I auditioned for a few roles, got cast in some, but mainly I did drugs. I got high, I got stoned, I got wasted, I shot up, I freebased, I did every drug imaginable."
Dane continued: "Here’s a partial list: Booze, pot, acid. Heroin. Cocaine. Mushrooms. Mescaline. Crystal meth. Crack. Painkillers. Fistfuls of painkillers. Buckets of painkillers. Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin, you name it, everything on the market.
"All the benzos. Xanax. Valium. All the muscle relaxers. All the uppers. Adderall. Ritalin."
In excerpts from memoir My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, he added: "I don't think there's a drug I didn't try."
Near-Fatal Swimming Trip
The actor was saved from drowning by youngest daughter Georgia, right.
In his memoir, Dane also revealed how his daughter saved him from drowning.
Dane and his family were vacationing in Antigua following his Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis in 2025 when he found himself unable to swim.
His first call after he was saved by his daughter, Georgina, and her friend was to his estranged wife, Rebecca Gayheart.
He wrote: "Georgia hands me my phone. 'I can’t swim, Rebecca,' I say. 'I can't swim.'"
"She explodes into tears, and I weep with her. We cry together. Finally, the tears slow, become reduced to gasps, and when we're both cried out, Rebecca says, 'I was afraid of this day. I knew it would come. I’ve been dreading it.'" Dane noted in his memoir.
Estranged Wife Maintained Support
Dane remained close to ex-wife Rebecca Gayheart.
The Grey's Anatomy star, who shared Georgia, 14, and his eldest child, Billie Beatrice, 16, with his estranged wife, spoke of the ordeal on Good Morning America in June 2025.
He said at the time: "When I jumped into the ocean that day and realized I couldn’t swim and generate enough power to get myself back to the boat. I thought, 'Oh God.'"
"And I realized in that moment I’m not safe in the water anymore. She (Georgia) dragged me back to the boat," Dane said, adding he was breaking down in tears, but ensured she went back to snorkeling and having fun with her friend.
Dane wed Gayheart in 2004 in Las Vegas before she filed for divorce in February 2018. They never finalized the split and stayed close amid his illness.
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The 'Grey's Anatomy' star lived for a year after his ALS diagnosis.
The life expectancy post-diagnosis is roughly three to five years, but tragically Dane managed just one.
The actor's friends and family had feared years of h-llraising may have played a part in his cruel and rapid decline.
A pal told a publication: "When Eric was using and abusing, he often never realized the impact it was having on his life and career until it was too late. Which is the common story, but thankfully he finally realized what he was doing to his life, his career, and personal life."
"It wasn't without its struggles as he relapsed and also dealt with depression and a few other things," the friend added. "But the real sad part of everything was once he was now getting back on track; that is when he was diagnosed with ALS. Just another complete gut punch."
