The beloved television star looked straight into the camera and delivered words he knew the world would only hear after he was gone, and what he said about love and his daughters is impossible to forget.

On February 20, 2026, Netflix released a posthumous interview with Eric Dane, filmed with the understanding it would air only after his death.

In short segments shared on Instagram to promote “Famous Last Words,” the actor reflected on ALS, addiction, and even love, but it is the two intimate messages, one about his wife and one to his daughters, that quietly break your heart.

In the first clip, Dane was asked about the essence of his relationship with Rebecca Gayheart, the woman he married after what he once described as an almost fated meeting.

He spoke slowly, as his illness had taken a huge toll on him, but his words were steady.

“Well, we still love each other deeply,” he said, acknowledging that while they no longer lived together, the bond remained. Then he delivered the line that lingered long after the clip ended:

“I will have never, by the time anybody sees this, fallen in love with another woman as deeply as I fell in love with Rebecca.”

He called her the mother of his children and remembered how it all began. “I met Rebecca, and I turned to her friend, and I said, ‘I’m going to marry that girl,'” the actor told the interviewer.

But when asked how he knew, Dane admitted, “I have no idea.”

At the time, her friend told him there was no chance because Gayheart was engaged and had been with her fiancé since she was 15. Still, four years later, Dane married her anyway.

“I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. It was like supposed to happen.”

But as touching as his words about Gayheart are, it is what comes next that feels almost sacred.

In a separate clip from the same interview, Dane turned his focus directly to his daughters, Billie and Georgia Dane. He looked into the camera and began, “Billie and Georgia, these words are for you.”

The folowing could be considered part apology, part love letter, and part life manual.

“I tried. I stumbled sometimes, but I tried. Overall, we had a blast, didn’t we?” he asked, recalling beach days in Malibu, Santa Monica, Hawaii, and Mexico. He called them his “water babies” and described those memories as heaven.

Then he laid out four lessons he learned while battling ALS.

First, live in the present. Dane admitted he used to get lost in worry, replaying decisions and drowning in regret. Now, survival forced him to stay in the moment.

“The past contains regrets. The future remains unknown. So you have to live now. The present is all you have. Treasure it. Cherish every moment.”

Second, fall in love, not just with a person, but with something that gives you purpose. The actor shared how his work became his first love and carried him through his darkest times.

“My work doesn’t define me, but it excites me. Find something. Find your path. Your purpose.”

Third, he wanted them to pick their friends wisely. He explained how his close family and friends stepped up as his illness progressed, when he could no longer drive, go to the gym, or even get coffee on his own.

“They just show up. That’s a big one. Just show up.”

And for his final lesson, he urged them to fight. “This disease is slowly taking my body, but it will never take my spirit,” Dane said, adding that resilience is his superpower.

Then comes a line that feels almost unbearable in its clarity:

“I hope I’ve demonstrated that you can face anything. You can face the end of your days. You can face hell with dignity. Fight girls, and hold your heads high.”

And then, the closing words.

“Billie and Georgia, you are my heart. You are my everything. Good night. I love you. Those are my last words.”

It is one thing to hear an actor deliver lines on a script. It is something else entirely to watch a father choose his final words with care.

As fans were processing the interview, another voice entered the conversation.

On February 21, Patrick Dempsey, who starred alongside Dane on “Grey’s Anatomy,” spoke about him in an interview with Virgin Radio UK. The man once known as McDreamy was asked about his former co-star, and his answer was raw.

“Yeah, it’s it’s hard to put into words. I feel really so sad for his children,” Dempsey said. He shared that they had stayed in touch via text and that their last conversation occurred roughly a week prior. During that talk, he noticed a sharp decline in Dane’s health.

According to him, mutual friends who visited also observed that Dane was losing his voice and could no longer leave his bed. Because he struggled to swallow and his physical condition was failing so quickly, his overall quality of life had plummeted.

Dempsey did not shy away from how difficult it had become, but he also made sure to remember the joy.

“But he was he was the funniest man. He was such a joy to work with and I want to just remember him in that spirit,” he explained, adding that Dane consistently brought a sense of joy and fun whenever he arrived on set.

According to Dempsey, his friend’s sharp sense of humor made him a delight to be around, and his professional demeanor made the work effortless. The two of them formed an instant connection when they first met.

It is a reminder that before the illness, before the farewell, there was laughter on set and a friendship that translated on screen.

As previously reported, Dane’s final days were a race against a ticking clock, fueled by a secret hope for his two daughters. Before his passing, the actor revealed the one heartbreaking reason he refused to stop holding on.

Behind the scenes of his deteriorating health, Dane was working on a legacy that went far beyond his Hollywood credits. It wasn’t just about his career or his own survival; it was about a vulnerable vow he made regarding the two girls who called him “Dad.”

At the heart of Dane’s world were his daughters, Billie and Georgia. Despite the physical toll of the illness, Dane remained a fixture in their lives, often appearing with them on red carpets.

In the months before his passing, he channeled his energy into advocating for the very condition that was taking his life.

Just months before his passing, in September 2025, Dane traveled to Washington, D.C., for a high-stakes meeting. He sat down with U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell to push for increased ALS research funding and the reauthorization of the ALS Act.

“I’m going to ring every bell,” he told the congressman at the start of their conversation.

Before the meeting with Swalwell ended, Dane finally voiced the secret wish that had been driving his refusal to give in to the medical ordeal.

“I have two daughters at home,” he told the Congressman with grit. “I wanna see them graduate college, get married, maybe have grandkids.”

The actor’s final plea revealed a man who wasn’t ready to let go of the fatherly milestones some might take for granted. “I wanna be there for all that,” he vowed. “So, I’m gonna fight until the last breath on this one.”

The actor’s determination to stay present for his family remained his guiding light until his final moments on February 19, 2026.

As we had earlier reported, Dane passed away at 53 following a long struggle with an incurable condition. His family confirmed his passing on February 19, 2026.

Less than a year earlier, the actor had spoken publicly about his diagnosis, offering candid insight into the private health journey that would ultimately define his final chapter.

In a statement to People, Dane’s family said he passed away Thursday afternoon after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which they described as courageous.

They added that throughout his illness, he became “a passionate advocate for awareness and research,” determined to help others confronting the same illness.

The family also noted that he deeply appreciated the support from fans and asked for privacy as they continue to grieve.

The statement added, “He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world.”

Long before the family’s statement, Dane had shared his diagnosis with the world.

On April 10, 2025, Dane publicly shared his diagnosis for the first time. “I have been diagnosed with ALS,” he told People exclusively. “I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter.”

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition causes loss of muscle control as motor neurons gradually deteriorate and break down. There is no cure, and symptoms typically worsen over time.

The condition often begins with muscle weakness in the hands, arms, feet, or legs and may also cause slurred speech or difficulty swallowing. As it advances, ALS affects the muscles needed to move, speak, eat, and breathe.

Despite the progression of the illness, Dane indicated at the time that he intended to keep working. He was preparing to resume filming Season 3 of “Euphoria” on April 14, just days after publicly sharing his diagnosis.

“I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week,” he said. “I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”

But months after first sharing his diagnosis, Dane offered a more personal look at how the condition had progressed.

In June 2025, Dane spoke with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer about when he first realized something was wrong. He said the earliest symptom was weakness in his right hand.

“I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand. And I didn’t really think anything of it at the time,” Dane said. He initially assumed it was fatigue or that he had been using his phone too much.

As the weakness progressed, he consulted several hand specialists before a neurologist told him the case was “way above my pay grade.”

Dane said the condition has since advanced. “My right side is completely, completely stopped working,” he told Sawyer, indicating his right arm resting in his lap.

When asked about his left arm, 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. Sobering.”

The interview turned emotional when Sawyer asked who he calls when it becomes overwhelming. “I call Rebecca. I talk to her every day,” he said, referring to his wife, Rebecca Gayheart.

His passing comes months after he offered fans a rare and candid glimpse into his health battle.

As previously reported, Dane made a rare and emotional appearance in a new video interview, revealing the personal challenges he faced after being diagnosed with ALS in April 2025.

The actor opened up in a December 4, 2025, virtual panel about portraying a firefighter with ALS in the NBC drama “Brilliant Minds.”

“It was hard, and there were moments where it was very difficult for me to get the lines out,” Dane said in the Entertainment Tonight interview. “I’ve never played a character who’s going through something I’m dealing with in real time, in real life as well.”

During the panel, his speech was noticeably strained — a heart-stopping reminder of the condition’s relentless progression. “I’m fairly limited in what I can do physically,” he shared. As mobility issues grew, showrunners adapted his scenes so he performed most of them while seated.

One subtle detail viewers may have noticed was that Dane chewed gum in certain scenes. According to him, it was more than an acting choice.

“The director said, ‘We’re going to pick a couple [of] scenes where he’s chewing gum.’ It came to kind of in the moment,” recounted Dane recounted, explaining that chewing gum helped alleviate symptoms like brain fog.

Even as the illness tightened its grip, Dane stressed his mission: raising awareness. “You want to make sure that people are aware of what ALS is and what it’s about and more importantly what we can do to combat it,” he noted.

The father of two teenage daughters also revealed that he had completed work on two additional series, including the third season of HBO’s “Euphoria,” after receiving his life-limiting diagnosis.

He remained committed to acting, though he acknowledged a shift in the roles he was able to take on. “I’m willing to do just about anything. I’ll take on any role, but I think from here on out it’s going to have to be ALS-centric,” he stated.

Speaking about his mindset, Dane added, “I have no reason to be in a good spirit at any time on any given day. I don’t think anybody would blame me if I went upstairs in my bedroom, crawled under the sheets, and spent the next two weeks crying. I was a little bit pleasantly surprised to realize that I wasn’t built like that.”

The emotional footage drew immediate reactions from viewers, many of whom expressed sorrow and shock at the visible progression of Dane’s condition.

One person wrote, “ALS is awful for all those inflicted. Wow, his condition has progressed so fast. What a [expletive] shame.” Another divulged, “Such an amazing man. An example for us all.”

A third viewer commented, “My heart breaks for Eric and I’m so sorry he’s suffering with this. I wish I had something positive to say about ALS, but I don’t. It’s an awful way to die.”

But amid the public reaction, another chapter of Dane’s personal life was unfolding.

In a later interview with People on September 27, 2025, Gayheart spoke further about how Dane’s diagnosis had affected the family.

Appearing at Step Up’s 2025 Inspiration Awards, she disclosed that she and her daughters were receiving emotional support. “We have some professional therapists who are helping us, and we’re just trying to have some hope and do it with dignity, grace and love,” she revealed.

The emotional toll on their daughters had been profound. “I mean, it’s heartbreaking. My girls are really suffering, and we’re just trying to get through it. It’s a tough time,” Gayheart added.

Still, she noted that the girls had shown interest in entertainment, just like their parents. “My 15-year-old definitely wants to model and act,” she expressed. “They both talk about it, but they’re too young yet.”

Eric Dane’s journey with ALS unfolded in both his personal life and professional work. Through candid interviews and public appearances, he chose to bring visibility to the realities of living with the condition while continuing to act and remain present for his family.