Eric Dane makes new romance official on first red carpet since ALS diagnosis ... after calling off divorce
Eric Dane kept a brave smile on his face as he walked his first carpet since heartbreakingly announcing his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
He shatteringly revealed in April that he had developed the a rare and incurable degenerative condition, which impairs the nervous system over time and causes the muscles to increasingly suffer from paralysis.
About half of ALS patients have a life expectancy of three years after the initial onset of symptoms, though some can survive for decades.
Shortly before news of his illness went public, his amicable estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart - with whom he has two daughters - dramatically called off their divorce.
They have evidently not rekindled their romance, however, as it emerged this week that Eric, 52, is dating photographer and filmmaker Janell Shirtcliff, 41.
Janell and Eric were glimpsed on a date this Tuesday, and by Wednesday, they went red carpet official at the premiere of his new Amazon Prime show Countdown.
The pair were seen gazing lovingly into one another's eyes as they posed together for the cameras, Eric in summery white and Janell in a sleek burgundy cocktail dress.
'The two have been in an on-and-off relationship for over three years and care deeply for each other,' a source recently told Entertainment Tonight.
'Eric asked Janell to be there for him during this time, and she wanted to show up for him,' the insider explained, adding that they are 'extremely close and mean a great deal to one another' and that they enjoyed 'a beautiful day together full of laughs, lightness, and love' this Monday.
While walking the red carpet for his new police procedural on Wednesday, Eric remarked: 'I feel good,' during an interview with Variety.
'It's nice to be here with everybody and see the hours and hours of work that we put into this come alive on screen,' added the Grey's Anatomy alum.
His sighting comes after he responded to a query about whether he would continue his career amid his illness by bluntly replying: 'I'm going to ride this till the wheels fall off,' while speaking to E! News on Tuesday.
'It keeps me sharp. It keeps me moving forward, which is super important right now.'
Eric insisted he feels 'great when I'm at work' despite losing the function of his dominant right arm in the year since he was diagnosed with ALS.
'Of course, there have been some sort of setbacks,' Dane admitted.
'But I feel pretty good. My spirit is always pretty buoyant, so at the end of the day, that's all that matters.'
Audiences can next catch the SAG Award winner as Special Agent Nathan Blythe in Derek Haas' new 13-episode crime drama Countdown, which premieres June 25 on Amazon Prime Video.
Eric's co-star Jensen Ackles said he brought a 'beautiful, quiet leadership' to the cast that was 'incredibly needed' in Countdown: 'That was just something that was so beneficial to the process of creating a team both on and off camera.'
Dane recently reprised his role as the closeted real estate agent Cal Jacobs in the third season of HBO hit show Euphoria, which is produced by and starring Zendaya as Ruby 'Rue' Bennett.
'I've shot already,' the San Francisco-born silver fox teased. 'It's good.'
Sam Levinson's drug-fueled drama will welcome newcomers Sharon Stone, Rosalía, Marshawn Lynch, and Kadeem Hardison in season three.
But it's unclear what the status is of Malik Vitthal's Montenegro-set wedding thriller Family Secrets, which cast Eric as the family patriarch back in 2023.
And Dane famously got his big break portraying plastic surgeon Mark 'McSteamy' Sloan from 2006–2012 on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.
The Bad Boys: Ride or Die action star is currently taking medication to slow the symptoms and he's also participating in a research study.
'I will fly to Germany and eat the head off a rattlesnake if [doctors] told me that that would help,' Eric told Good Morning America 's Diane Sawyer on Monday.
'I'll assume the risk.'
Dane fears he will lose function of his left hand 'in a few more months' and he's also 'worried about my legs.'
'Sobering,' the father-of-two admitted.
'I'm very hopeful, yeah, I don't think this is the end of my story. I'm pretty resilient. I just don't feel, like in my heart, [that] this is the end of me.'
On average, ALS patients live two to five years following their first symptoms, but FDA-approved medications and physical/speech therapies might slow down the progression of the disorder.
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