Photos Of Eric Dane's Final Red Carpet Appearance Are Even More Devastating Now

Fans of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Euphoria" have been devastated by Eric Dane's tragic passing — particularly because he looked so cheerful and upbeat at his final red carpet appearance. However, it is worth noting that looks can be deceiving, and by then, his crushing ALS diagnosis had already begun to affect his body in a devastating way. 

Dane first addressed his diagnosis with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, in April 2025. In an interview with People, he'd kept the statement simple, sharing, "I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter." The actor went on to note that he would keep working and was already scheduled to be on the set of "Euphoria" the following week. However, the next time he spoke about his diagnosis would be that June, mere days ahead of what would be his final red carpet appearance. In that interview, a sit-down with Diane Sawyer for "Good Morning America," Dane revealed, "I have one functioning arm ... my left side is functioning." He added that his right arm was his dominant one, and in a devastating admission, when Sawyer asked if his left was completely fine, he replied, "No, it's going. Yeah, I feel like maybe a couple, few more months and I won't have my left hand either."

Heartbreakingly, Dane's appearance at the premiere for "Countdown" showed that. Though the actor beamed for the cameras, his right arm remained firmly at his side as he posed and spoke with members of the press. 

One particularly heartbreaking aspect of Eric Dane's final red carpet appearance was that it also happened to be the first and only time he'd walk the carpet with his girlfriend, Janell Shirtcliff. 

While the couple did not speak publicly about their relationship, an insider did share some details with Entertainment Tonight after they posed together at the "Countdown" premiere. "The two have been in an on-and-off relationship for over three years and care deeply for each other. Eric asked Janell to be there for him during this time, and she wanted to show up for him," they told the outlet. 

Not much more is known about the couple's relationship, and though Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier did use his red carpet interview with Dane to ask what Shirtcliff had thought about "Countdown," the actor didn't give away any details about their having watched it together, leaving it at, "She hasn't seen it yet." Other than that, Dane and Shirtcliff kept details of their relationship mum, and even when E! News reached out to ask for a confirmation of their relationship status, their respective spokespeople declined to respond. Either way, it certainly is special that they were able to have at least one red carpet moment together, and we're keeping Shirtcliff in our thoughts.

Of course, because Eric Dane's interview with "Good Morning America" aired just a few days before his final red carpet appearance, many of the reporters at the "Countdown" premiere had questions about his ALS diagnosis. However, in addition to seemingly not wanting to share much about his personal life, Dane seemed slightly uncomfortable when asked about his health crisis. 

Asked by ExtraTV about what it meant for him to be at the premiere, Dane shared, "I'm often proud of the work that I do, and you know, this is no exception." A little while later, the interviewer tried again, asking how he was feeling. Again, Dane appeared not to want to talk about the ALS, responding, "Feeling pretty groovy — how you feeling?" He then joked that if anything, it was "a little hot." Similarly, during his interview with Entertainment Tonight, Kevin Frazier seemed to be hinting at Dane's ALS when he asked, "Do you cherish these moments, these carpet moments, these getting together moments and being able to hang out with everybody, more?" Dane again steered the conversation away from that, though, saying, "We're all proud of the work we did, and we're proud of the effort that it took ... and it's great to, you know, get back together again and see each other as a group."

Whether he was upset about the questions or if he just preferred not to get into his diagnosis on the red carpet, Dane nonetheless appeared to be in good spirits, and we're grateful to have been able to see him dazzle at a premiere once more. We are thinking of all of his loved ones as they navigate his tremendous loss.