'Grey's Anatomy' Star Confronts Late Eric Dane Days After His Passing

Just days after Eric Dane's death at 53, and in the midst of a family mourning his last words, an unexpected voice cut through the grief, and what she alleged has left fans stunned.

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.

A Love Story That Never Really Ended

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 were, it is what came next that felt almost sacred.

A Father's Final Lesson

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 following 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, as he reflected:

"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 came a line that felt 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.

The Explosive Claims That Stopped Everyone in Their Tracks

It was against that deeply emotional backdrop that a very different narrative emerged online…

Under a Variety post announcing Dane's death, Laura Ann Tull — who says she worked as a background actress on "Grey's Anatomy" for three years — posted a comment that instantly went viral:

"He was a bully and an [expletive]."

What began as a blunt comment quickly turned into a multi-day tirade. As detailed in Complex's report, Tull doubled down repeatedly when fans pushed back, alleging that Dane mocked and bullied her during her time as an extra on the show. "He was a coward who abused me. Bullied me. Made fun of me," she wrote in one reply.

In another post, she added, "He just died. I only wish he'd apologized & admitted what he did." Tull's accusations did not stop at name-calling.

She claimed Dane interfered with her professional reputation and long-term ability to work in Hollywood. "His dying doesn't change [the] destruction he caused me," she wrote, alleging she had once intended to pursue legal action.

In one of the most explosive statements, Tull claimed she played a role in Dane's departure from the series in 2012. "I am why he was fired from 'Grey's," she wrote. "I called [Shonda] Rhimes' assistant two weeks before they announced his termination. Rhimes I doubt will ever admit that [sic]."

Yet, she did not provide evidence for that claim, and there is no public record supporting the idea that Tull influenced his exit…

According to reporting cited by Complex, The Hollywood Reporter previously stated that Dane's departure stemmed from budget and creative decisions, as longtime cast members became more expensive for the network.

Dane himself addressed the subject in 2024 on Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast. "I didn't leave so much as I think I was let go," he stated.

When asked about his struggles with prescription medication at the time, he acknowledged, "I was struggling. They didn't let me go because of that, although it definitely didn't help."

Instead, he believed finances played the central role, explaining:

"I was starting to become, as most of these actors who have spent significant time on the show, you start to become very expensive for the network. And the network knows that the show is going to do what it's going to do irrespective of who they keep on it — as long as they have their Grey they were fine [sic]."

Meanwhile, Tull's posts grew even more pointed…

As reported by Page Six, she referred to Dane as "evil," a "coward," a "jerk," and a "narcissist," and alleged he "abused" her on set. She also claimed she initially raised concerns about him years earlier, pointing to a June 2018 Medium essay in which she described her time working in Hollywood and referenced Dane by name.

"I worked on set [sic] of 'Grey's Anatomy' for three years as an extra, but I never spoke to Dane once directly," she wrote at the time. "But I did hear him talk about me."

According to that essay, she believed he had labeled her "weird" through a third party and said the experience contributed to her feeling pushed out of the industry. She alleged she was informed of the "weird" comment via an email from "[Arne] Starr, an elected representative of SAG-AFTRA."

In more recent Threads posts, which include strongly-worded back-and-forths with the public and claims that she had suffered health issues, she insisted she had contacted production before Dane's 2012 exit and reiterated that she felt the alleged mistreatment derailed her career.

She also pulled another "Grey's" heavyweight into the conversation, claiming Patrick Dempsey "also seemed to comment about" her.

Fans Fire Back

The online backlash was swift and fierce. According to Daily Mail, fans criticized the timing of her remarks, particularly given Dane's battle with ALS and the fact that he left behind young daughters. "The man has died. He has young children. The fact that you are talking about this after his death of [sic] a terrible disease. You seem like the bully here," one commenter wrote.

Another asked, "So why didn't you speak to your story while he was alive?" "You couldn't say these things about him when he was alive and able to defend himself?" one person added.

"He can't defend himself, so now you're brave? That's not honesty that's [sic] cowardice," another wrote. "Shame on you," read yet another response. Some even questioned whether Tull had appeared on the show at all, noting her alleged role as an extra does not appear on her IMDb page.

A diehard fan commented, "I have watched 'Greys [sic] Anatomy' from start to finish so many times. … I've never seen you in my life. Ever."

Meanwhile, another responded to her claim about being called "weird," writing, "In your own words, you said that somebody told you that he called you weird. So based [sic] on heresay you think it's OK to speak ill of somebody who died from a debilitating disease? Doesn't that make you know better than him? Seems like you're also a bully."

The Shadow Cast over McSteamy's Farewell

The controversy has caused a deep divide: On one hand, Tull insists she is finally speaking her truth after years of silence, and on the other, many argue that the days following a man's death — especially one who publicly battled ALS — are not the moment for unverified claims.

Dane's character, Mark Sloan, was written out at the beginning of season nine after succumbing to injuries from a tragic plane crash in the season eight finale. For millions of viewers, that fictional goodbye was devastating enough.

Now, more than a decade later, his real-life farewell has been complicated by allegations, rebuttals, and a viral storm that few saw coming.

Whether this confrontation reshapes how some view his legacy remains to be seen. But during a time that began with tearful tributes and a father's final message to his daughters, the conversation has undeniably taken an unexpected turn.

Still, even as these allegations continue to dominate online discourse, those who stood beside Eric Dane in his final chapter are telling a very different story; one centered not on controversy, but on the devoted father, loyal friend, and deeply human man he was.

A Friend Remembers the Man Behind McSteamy

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 [sic]," 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 [sic]," 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."

A Father's Last Stand

At the heart of Dane's world were his daughters. 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.

By this time, the condition's progression was visible, yet his voice remained powerful and unwavering. He wasn't just a celebrity advocate; he was a man fighting for a miracle that could grant him just a little more time.

The Heart-Wrenching Reveal

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.