30 January 2026
Kate Walsh says Eric Dane’s health battle is “so painful”.
Kate Walsh has opened up about her friend Eric Dane’s struggles
The Grey’s Anatomy star – whose character Dr. Addison Montgomery was in a relationship with Eric’s alter ego Mark Sloan – has opened up on her castmate’s public struggle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness and atrophy.
Asked if she’s had the chance to talk to him, Kate told Variety: “It’s so painful. It’s really sad. I haven’t been in touch with him, but I’ve reached out and sent my love and support and strength.
“It’s so heartbreaking. He’s such a beautiful person and such an incredible man, and I’ve had other friends that have battled with this disease, and it’s just horrific.
“So my heart goes out to him. I keep him, his family, his girls, in my prayers.”
The 58-year-old actress agreed that their characters will always be intertwined both for Grey’s Anatomy fans, and TV as a whole.
She added: “That’s why it’s so heartbreaking to me, so emotional.”
Their former co-star Patrick Dempsey recently provided an update on his close friend Eric, 53, is doing, describing his condition as “heartbreaking”, and revealing he wasn’t able to film TV show Memory of a Killer.
He told Parade: “I spoke to him a few weeks ago.
“We were trying to get him in [Memory of a Killer], but unfortunately, the progression of his disease made it virtually impossible. But I was happy to see that he was here in Toronto working on, I think, another medical drama [Brilliant Minds].
“It’s very hard for him, but I do try to stay in touch and see how he’s doing.”
Eric – who has daughters Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, with ex Rebecca Gayheart – was diagnosed in April 2025, and despite his struggles he’s remained “positive” with a sense of humour.
Patrick, 60, added: “It’s heartbreaking. It really is. For him and for his family. You feel for them when you see this terrible disease and how quickly it attacks the body.
“But he’s bringing a lot of light to that, and he’s using his platform in a positive way.”
