Eric Dane's Pre-Recorded Last Message To His Daughters Is Breaking Hearts

Eric Dane, well-known for playing Dr. Mark Sloan in the medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" before leaving the show in 2012, died at the age of 53 on Feb. 19, 2026. Suffering from ALS, Dane didn't make too many public appearances or statements in the year or so leading up to his passing, with his final red carpet appearance feeling particularly devastating now. Apparently, though, the actor did record an emotional message for his two daughters, Billie and Georgia Dane, whom he shares with Rebecca Gayheart, which was released after his death.

The video message was shared with his daughters — and the world — as part of Netflix's documentary series "Famous Last Words." In the heart-wrenching clip, Dane reminisced about some of the great times he had with his family, while also acknowledging the effect his disease was having on him before his death. "Billie and Georgia, these words are for you," Dane began the message. "I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried."

Dane recalled some special memories as a family, saying, "I see you now playing in the ocean for hours, my water babies. Those days, pun intended, were heaven." Dane then took a moment to share what he learned from dealing with the debilitating disease, emphasizing the need to find good friends and be resilient in the face of challenges. Although Dane and Gayheart were separated, they co-parented Billie and Georgia together, and she filed to dismiss her divorce in March 2025. Gayheart's final Instagram post of him was from a family trip with their girls.

Eric Dane's message took a serious tone as he talked to his two daughters, Billie and Georgia Dane, about important life lessons. His first note to them was to "live now," recalling how he would spend too much time thinking about regrets or worries instead of just living his life. "Out of pure survival, I am forced to stay in the present," Dane said. "But I don't want to be anywhere else." 

Going on, he encouraged his daughters to fall in love, saying, "Not necessarily with a person, although I do recommend that as well." Dane wanted his daughters to find a passion that they loved, "the thing that makes you want to get up in the morning," and go for it with everything they had. For him, that was acting, which he said got him through his "darkest year." His third directive for Billie and Georgia was to "find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them." He wanted them to find friends and family who will be there for them during both good and bad times, recalling how many of his own loved ones "stepped up" during his health battle to simply be by his side.

Lastly, Dane told them, "When you face challenges, health or otherwise, fight. Never give up ... This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit." He called his resilience his "superpower" and instructed his daughters to push through any and every challenge in life with the same strength.