Eric Dane dropped out of a Saturday awards ceremony hours before he was set to be honored amid his battle with ALS.
The Grey’s Anatomy and Euphoria actor was supposed to appear in person at the ALS Network’s Champions for Cures and Care gala in Pasadena on Jan. 24, where he was receiving the Advocate of the Year Award. However, organizers announced the evening of the event that “due to the physical realities of ALS,” Dane was not well enough to attend.
“We remain deeply grateful for his courage, advocacy, and continued commitment to the ALS community,” an ALSN representative said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly, “and we honor him fully this evening with our profound respect and support.”
Broadway star and Grammy nominee Aaron Lazar, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2022, accepted the award on Dane’s behalf.
Dane was also honored with a video montage that played during the ceremony and featured several of the actor’s friends and former costars sharing kind words about his career and advocacy. Gala attendees included Dane’s former Grey’s Anatomy costars James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson.
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Dane himself sent a pre-recorded video message for the ceremony, thanking the organization for bestowing the Advocate of the Year Award upon him.
“This award is not just for me, it’s for my beautiful loved ones who are fighting with me, and it’s for every person who has faced ALS with courage,” the Countdown star said. “For every caregiver who gives their heart and energy day after day and for every advocate who raises their voice to push for progress.”
Dane then celebrated the ALS Network’s tireless work, which includes “uniting care, research, and advocacy to improve and extend the lives of people with ALS.”
After thanking the organization one more time, Dane said, “With the help of the ALS Network we will finally be able to kick the s— out of ALS together.”
In a statement to EW, the president and CEO of the ALS Network, Sheri Strahl, said, “Eric has transformed personal challenges into powerful advocacy. He has turned his ALS journey into a catalyst for progress, uniting people with his voice, his heart, and his determination. The ALS community is stronger, more visible, and more hopeful because of him.”
Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, ALS is a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons, causing degeneration of nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain and loss of muscle control over time. While ALS has no cure, treatments exist that help slow its progression and improve quality of life.
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The Grey’s Anatomy alum first announced his ALS diagnosis in April of last year, after nine months of testing. In June, Dane revealed that he had lost function in his right arm, and his wife, Rebecca Gayheart (the couple are legally married but separated in 2017), recently said he has “24/7 nurses” taking care of him.
Dane has nevertheless made an effort to continue working. In addition to filming the third season of Euphoria and starring in the Prime Video series Countdown, he guest-starred on an episode of Brilliant Minds in November, playing a firefighter who struggles to tell his family about his ALS diagnosis.
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Dane, who is the ambassador for the nonprofit organization I AM ALS, has also thrown himself into advocacy, shining a spotlight on both those diagnosed with ALS and those who step in as caretakers.
“I think it’s imperative that I share my journey with as many people as I can because I don’t feel like my life is about me anymore,” Dane said in a virtual conversation in December. “It’s something I’ve had to wrestle with because I’m a pretty selfish person, and I’d love for my life to be all about me, but I just can’t — I don’t think I’d be able to move forward if that were the case.”