2026 has had a number of upsetting celebrity deaths, from Catherine O'Hara passing away to the shocking death of James Van Der Beek. Fans put together a GoFundMe account to support the latter's family, which is also what happened shortly after Eric Dane's death at 53. And now the late Grey's Anatomy icon's campaign has hit a major financial milestone.
Dane's GoFundMe account quickly made hundreds of thousands of dollars, with the website ensuring that the sum would go to his family. It's continued to make money, thanks to his legacy on shows like Grey's and Euphoria (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). And at the time of writing this story, the official GoFundMe has passed the $475k mark.
That's a big chunk of change, and now the campaign is super close to its ultimate goal of $500k. I only assume this is a huge relief to his family, especially considering how expensive medical bills can be. Johnny Depp actually let Dane stay in his house while in the midst of treatment for ALS, which is likely another financial relief for the late actor's loved ones. We'll just have to wait and see if/when the campaign reaches its goal.
Tributes to Eric Dane have been rolling in ever since his death, thanks to his acclaimed work as an actor as well as being a notable ALS advocate. The disease is known for being ruthless, and his generations of fans watched as he deteriorated. But through it all he helped to advocate for his community, and even continued acting.
For example, Dane got a standing ovation after filming his role in Brilliant Minds, playing a character who was also battling ALS. He was also able to film his role in Euphoria Season 3, ensuring his posthumous appearance in the acclaimed HBO series. I have to assume that once the new season premieres, that even more folks will end up donating to the late actor's GoFundMe campaign.
As previously mentioned, a GoFundMe was also established shortly after the death of Dawson's Creek icon James Van Der Beek. That account has raised a staggering amount of money; at the time of writing this story it's got over $2.7 million dollars, surpassing the original goal of $1.5 million. Just like with Eric Dane's, the goal is to support the late actor's family during this impossible time. Van Der Beek.
While there's been som backlash from folks who take umbrage with the late celebrities needing financial assistance, the industry has changed so much recently that actors from major TV shows are no longer guaranteed to make money through residuals. Add in the expense of medical costs, and there seems to be good reason why these actors' families might need help.
Our thoughts continue to be with Eric Dane's loved ones during this difficult time. He'll appear on Euphoria once Season 3 premiers on April 12th as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
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