Eric Dane Revealed First Sign of ALS Came During a Family Sushi Dinner — 'I Couldn't Grip My Chopsticks'
Eric Dane recalled the exact moment he feared his health was on the wane in his posthumous memoir.
Oct. 23 2026, Published 1:20 p.m. ET
Eric Dane knew the exact moment he realized his health was waning – one year before he was diagnosed with ALS, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Grey's Anatomy star, who passed away in February as a result of the illness at age 53, recalled in his posthumous memoir an incident during a family dinner that sparked fears that something was wrong.
'My Fingers Feel Numb'
Dane was having dinner with his daughters Billie and Georgia when he realized something was wrong.
In an excerpt from the book My Book of Days: A Memoir of Moments, Dane explained he was with his daughters one evening eating sushi when he found himself unable to properly use the chopsticks he was holding due to his fingers feeling "numb."
He wrote: "I'm eating sushi with my kids and suddenly I can't work the chopsticks with my right hand. My hand tingles, and then my fingers feel numb."
The actor said that he initially dismissed it as a "weird nerve thing" and put it down to "texting too much."
But despite trying to "shake it off" and carry on as normal, he said the symptom soon returned.
Dane was diagnozed with ALS nine months later.
He wrote: "Three weeks later, it happens again, only worse. I can't grip the chopsticks at all."
Dane said that sparked a nine-month-long search for answers before he was ultimately diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
Elsewhere in the book, Dane went into detail about his excessive drug use, listing off the substances he consumed during the height of his addiction during his 20s.
He wrote: "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."
'I Don't Think There's A Drug I Didn't Try'
The actor also opened up about drug use in the book.
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."
Dane added: "I don't think there's a drug I didn't try."
The life expectancy post-diagnosis is roughly three to five years, but tragically Dane managed just one. The Marley & Me star's friends and family had feared years of h-llraising may have played a part in his cruel and rapid decline.
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Pals fear Dane's heavy partying may have impacted his life expectancy post-diagnosis.
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."
