Eric Dane’s drug addiction may have impacted the decision to write him off “Grey’s Anatomy”, new book reveals

Leigh BlickleyMon, October 19, 2026 at 2:52 PM UTC

1

Eric Dane in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’Credit: Scott Garfield/Disney General Entertainment Content via GettyKey Points -

Less than a year after his death, Eric Dane has a posthumous memoir coming out.

In My Book of Days, Dane wrote about his addiction issues and ALS diagnosis.

He also discussed his time on Grey’s Anatomy, and how he relapsed during his run on the show.

Eric Dane’s addiction and recovery is explored in an upcoming book.

The actor worked on his memoir, My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments, before his death in February following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 53. In excerpts from the book, shared with PEOPLE, he detailed discovering his diagnosis and relived his battle with painkiller addiction at the height of his success on Grey’s Anatomy in 2008.

Dane initially struggled with substance abuse during a “dark period” in his 20s, admitting he “mainly did drugs” at that time despite trying to make it in the industry.

“I got high, I got stoned, I got wasted, I shot up, I freebased, I did every drug imaginable,” he wrote. “Here’s a partial list: Booze, pot, acid. Heroin. Cocaine. Mushrooms. Mescaline. Crystal meth. Crack. Painkillers. Fistfuls of painkillers. Buckets of painkillers. Vicodin, Percocet, OxyContin, you name it, everything on the market. All the benzos. Xanax. Valium. All the muscle relaxers. All the uppers. Adderall. Ritalin. I don’t think there’s a drug I didn’t try.”

Once he booked Grey’s in 2005, he had a few good years before relapsing after herniating a cervical disc in his neck while working out. He writes that he was clearly struggling, and that it was obvious to those around him.

“My body goes to s---. I drop to 170, my face caves in, my eyes cloud, I look gaunt; s---, I look like a drug addict,” Dane wrote. “You can tell. I can tell. My attitude on set changes. I’m no longer bubbly, the fun guy, a ringleader in laughs. I don’t act out. I don’t throw tantrums or chairs. I go the other way. I bring everything inside. I dissolve. I go quiet, I stare off at nothing. I suffer. I’m suffering without talking about it to anyone. I try not to come to work high — that’s my rule, my edict, my nonnegotiable promise to myself — but a couple times, I can’t help it.”

He continued, “I feel other members of the cast looking at me. They’re my friends. My work family. No. My family. They don’t judge me. They don’t look angry. They look concerned. They look sad.”

Eric Dane’s memoir coverCredit: The Open Field

Dane starred as Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s from 2006 to 2012. He appeared on the show alongside the likes of Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Chyler Leigh, and Sara Ramirez, among many others including mainstays Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. (The show is now in its 23rd season.)

As his addiction became more apparent, Grey’s creator Shonda Rhimes pulled Dane aside multiple times to assure him that she would “take care” of him if he needed a break. He also noted that, during a hiatus, he went to rehab — and would go five times over the course of his run on the show.

Advertisement

“Over time, I come out improved. I do my best. I manage my addictions, I stay sober on set. But things have changed,” he wrote. “Look at me. Physically, I appear healthy. But mentally, I’m on my way out. I love Mark Sloan, but I need to quit him. I feel as if I’ve squeezed every ounce of life out of that character, have investigated and mined every nuance of his being. I’ve spent eight years living in his skin, and my time has come. I’ve had enough. But I don’t know how to get off that train.”

By the end of season 8 in 2012, Rhimes told him he was not coming back for the next season.

“My Grey’s Anatomy ending does come, but not because of my addiction, although it’s safe to say my addiction didn’t help,” Dane wrote. “The reason comes down to money … Despite Mark Sloan’s popularity, I have become too expensive. I have become expendable.”

Dane went on to star on The Last Ship, but continued to struggle. Eventually, his depression and addiction led to the demise of his 14-year marriage to Rebecca Gayheart, with whom he shared two daughters, Billie, 16, and Georgia, 14. In 2018, they split but remain connected as “a family.”

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our EW Dispatch newsletter.

By the time Dane received his ALS diagnosis in 2024, he and Gayheart had yet to sign their divorce papers, and she remained by his side, and legally his wife, as he battled the disease.

“Through it all, Rebecca not only shows up, she remains my best friend,” Dane wrote. “She drops by every day, early in the morning, late at night, sometimes in the middle of the night when she knows I won’t be sleeping. She’s the person I call, the one I go to when I need to talk, when I need to scream, when I need to cry.”

A month after his death, Gayheart shared a tribute to Dane on Instagram, which included photos and videos from many moments in his life. “There are no words. All our love forever — your girls ❤️‍🩹❤️,” she wrote.

My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments will be available onNov. 3, 2026.

on Entertainment Weekly

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”