From E! Online · · 1m 20s
Eric Dane Ignored First ALS Symptom With Chopsticks
Eric Dane ignored early ALS symptoms with chopsticks before diagnosis.
In brief
Eric Dane ignored early ALS symptoms with chopsticks before diagnosis. Eric Dane ignored his first ALS symptom with chopsticks in January 2024, leading to a diagnosis in April 2025 and his death in February 2026. Originally reported by E! Online.
First ALS Symptom
Eric Dane experienced his first ALS symptom while eating sushi with his children in January 2024.
“i’m eating sushi with my kids and suddenly i can’t work the chopsticks with my right hand”
Ignored Symptom
Dane believed the symptom was a temporary nerve issue caused by excessive texting.
“some kind of weird nerve thing”
Symptom Worsened
Three weeks later, Dane could no longer grip chopsticks at all.
“three weeks later it happens again only worse i can’t grip the chopsticks at all”
Diagnosis
Dane was diagnosed with ALS by Dr. Mark Terrelonge at the University of California, San Francisco in April 2025.
“i have been diagnosed with als i am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter”
Family Support
Rebecca Gayheart-Dane remained his strongest support, calling him her biggest champion and most stalwart supporter.
“i call rebecca i talk to her every day we have managed to become better friends and better parents”
Continued Work
Dane continued filming the final season of HBO's series while managing his health condition.
“i feel great when i'm at work of course there have been some sort of setbacks but i feel pretty good”
Progression
Dane's right side stopped working, with his left side functioning for a few more months.
“my left side is functioning my right side has completely stopped working i feel like maybe a couple more months i won’t have my left hand either”
Emmys Absence
Dane missed the 2025 Emmys due to a hospital visit for head stitches.
“als is a nasty disease so i was in the hospital during the emmys getting stitches put in my head”
Family Concerns
Dane expressed fear about his daughters' futures due to his ALS progression.
“i'm angry because my father was taken from me when i was young and now there's a very good chance i'm going to be taken from my girls while they're very young”
Death
Dane died on February 19, 2026, after a year-long battle with ALS.
“eric dane died on february 19 at age 53 following his yearlong battle with als”
Here's the gist
Eric Dane ignored his first ALS symptom with chopsticks in January 2024, leading to a diagnosis in April 2025 and his death in February 2026.
