Eric Dane's posthumous memoir gives readers a firsthand account of how addiction shaped his years on Grey's Anatomy and how ALS altered the final chapter of his life.
My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments also revisits a December 2025 moment with his daughter Billie, when his failing strength kept him from holding her after a Nutcracker performance.
People published excerpts from the book on October 18, 2026, ahead of its November 3 release.
Dane died on February 19 at age 53 after battling ALS, according to reports on his death and the memoir.
Relapse and Life on Grey's Anatomy
Dane joined Grey's Anatomy as a regular in its second season, playing plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Sloan.
In the memoir, he wrote that he relapsed in 2008 and went through treatment five times while working on the medical drama.
He described how the relapse visibly changed his appearance and acknowledged that his behavior on set shifted.
He also wrote that he worked to manage his addiction and stay sober during filming.
After eight years as Sloan, Dane felt ready to leave the role.
He remained attached to the character but believed he had explored its emotional and personal depths extensively, leaving him unsure how to exit the series.
His departure followed the eighth season's conclusion in 2012.
Creator Shonda Rhimes told him privately that Sloan would not return for season nine, and the character died in a plane crash alongside Lexie Grey, played by Chyler Leigh.
Dane and Leigh later returned in a dream sequence during season 17, which aired in 2021.
In the memoir, Dane attributed the end of Sloan's storyline mainly to financial considerations rather than addiction alone.
"My Grey's Anatomy ending does come, but not because of my addiction, although it's safe to say my addiction didn't help.
The reason comes down to money," he wrote.
He also addressed how the decision affected his standing in the production. "Despite Mark Sloan's popularity, I have become too expensive.
I have become expendable," he wrote.
ALS Symptoms and a Father's Farewell
The memoir documents how Dane's ALS progressed and the moments that made the severity of his condition clear.
According to the excerpts, his first symptom appeared on January 7, 2024, while eating sushi with his children, when he suddenly struggled to use chopsticks with his right hand.
The problem returned about three weeks later and was more severe. After nine months of seeking answers, a neurologist at UCSF diagnosed him with ALS.
Dane then called Rebecca Gayheart, who had filed for divorce in 2018, though the couple never finalized the paperwork.
"It's what we feared," he told her after receiving the diagnosis.
Another moment came during a 2024 trip to Antigua, when Dane realized he could no longer swim.
His younger daughter, Georgia, and her friend helped him out of the water.
In December 2025, the disease disrupted a family tradition after Billie's performance in The Nutcracker.
Dane, who had attended her recitals for years, could no longer raise his arms to embrace her.
Billie was 15 at the time, and the two cried together as she knelt beside him.
"I'm so sorry I can't wrap my arms around you," Dane told her, explaining, "I can't lift my arms anymore."
Dane later described an unexpected sense of comfort despite the painful circumstances.
"And then, weirdly, I feel wonderful," he wrote, calling the encounter deeply meaningful and considering that they might need a different way to express affection.
According to the excerpt, Billie whispered, "I love you, Dad."
The book is organized around individual days, including reflections meant for his daughters, Billie and Georgia, to revisit after his death.
Publisher Penguin Random House described those sections as future days created for the girls to read, remember and carry forward.
A family statement said Dane spent his final years advocating for ALS awareness and research, and his last days surrounded by close friends, Gayheart and their two daughters.
In a Netflix interview for Famous Last Words, recorded in November 2025 and released the day after his death, Dane reflected on his repeated attendance at The Nutcracker performances.
My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments is scheduled for publication on November 3, 2026.
