Eric Dane’s grieving partner, Janell Shirtcliff, paid tribute to him on Saturday, just two days after he passed away at the age of 53 due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Dane, widely recognized from his role as Dr. Mark Sloan—affectionately called ‘McSteamy’—on Grey’s Anatomy, had publicly revealed his ALS diagnosis less than a year ago. This progressive neurodegenerative disease, often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease in the United States, leads to the deterioration of the nervous system, gradually resulting in muscle paralysis.
Though Dane and his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, separated in 2017, they chose to remain amicable co-parents to their daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 13. Their divorce, which was never finalized, was ultimately called off shortly before Dane shared his ALS diagnosis.
Throughout Dane’s battle with the debilitating illness, Gayheart was a constant pillar of strength and support. Despite their enduring bond, both moved on to new relationships, with Dane finding love in model Janell Shirtcliff.
In a touching tribute, Shirtcliff, 42, has released a poignant collection of photos and videos, capturing cherished moments she and Dane shared during the final year of his life.
Now Shirtcliff, 42, has shared a heartbreaking string of photos and videos memorializing the time she shared with Dane in the last year of his life.
Eric Dane’s shattered girlfriend Janell Shirtcliff shared her memories of him Saturday, two days after his death at 53 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); pictured last June
Shirtcliff shared a string of snaps on her Instagram, including this tender moment with her late boyfriend
She included pictures of him breaking out his unmistakable charming smile, including while having a tattoo applied and sharing a laugh with her.
Shirtcliff also shared a video of her driving him through what appeared to be a desert as they sang the classic Dire Straits song Money for Nothing together.
Dane could be seen holding his last girlfriend close and planting an affectionate kiss on one of her temples as they posed together at a set of steps.
In a heartwarming video that closed out Shirtcliff’s tribute, Dane’s youngest daughter Georgia was seen setting up his pose for a photo that she would snap of him.
Shirtcliff was at Dane’s side when he walked what turned out to be his final red carpet last June 18 in Los Angeles, eight months before his death.
A source then said their joint appearance ‘blindsided’ his previous girlfriend Priya Jain, inasmuch as Dane had ‘never broken up’ with her, via Page Six.
However an insider has now shared that during ‘the months leading up to Eric’s passing Priya and Eric reconnected their relationship as friends.’
Jain was supposedly astonished at how fast Dane’s condition had deteriorated as she ‘didn’t think it would happen this quickly,’ the source told Us Weekly.
Now Shirtcliff, 42, has shared a heartbreaking string of photos and videos memorializing the time she shared with Dane in the last year of his life
Dane could be seen holding his last girlfriend close and planting an affectionate kiss on one of her temples as they posed together at a set of steps
She included pictures of him breaking out his unmistakable charming smile, including while having a tattoo applied
He was also pictured sharing a laugh with her
In a heartwarming video that closed out Shirtcliff’s tribute, Dane’s youngest daughter Georgia was seen setting up his pose for a photo that she would snap of him
Dane, 53, who shot to fame on Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Mark Sloan aka ‘McSteamy,’ announced less than a year ago that he had been diagnosed with ALS
She was ‘so sad and devastated,’ according to the insider, who added that Jain was ‘grateful’ that his daughters ‘exist to keep his memory alive.’
Dane’s friends set up a GoFundMe to help provide for his children in the wake of his death, and by Saturday morning over $183,000 of the $250,000 goal had been raised.
A source has revealed Johnny Depp had attempted to ‘ease the financial burden’ by allowing Dane to stay at one of his homes during his ALS battle.
‘He was living basically rent-free in one of the homes Johnny owns above the Sunset Strip. He told Eric to pay whatever he could or — couldn’t for rent,’ the source told Page Six, adding that Dane as a result had ‘one less thing to worry about.’
He had sharply declined after his diagnosis, using a wheelchair, losing the use of his right arm and pulling out of a public appearance last month citing the ‘physical realities’ his illness had forced him to face.
Nevertheless Dane, whose recent work includes playing the father of Jacob Elordi’s character on Euphoria, insisted as recently as December that he would keep acting.
‘I still have my brain and I still have my speech,’ he said on a virtual panel for IAMALS.org. ‘I’m not about to concede my purpose for some disease.’
