Eric Dane Breaks Down in Tears Over ALS Diagnosis

Eric Dane struggled to hold back tears as he opened up about his life-changing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis.

The former Grey’s Anatomy star, who in April announced that he’d been diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease, spoke out for the first time in an upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer on Monday’s episode of Good Morning America.

“I wake up every day and I’m immediately reminded that this is happening,” the 52-year-old actor said in a 30-second teaser clip posted by GMA Thursday morning. “It’s not a dream.”

The Monday interview is set to be an emotional one, with Dane and Sawyer at one point in the brief clip seen holding hands. In another moment, the actor broke down in tears as he discussed his diagnosis, though he remains optimistic.

“I don’t think this is the end of my story. I don’t feel like this is the end of me,” he said.

ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to gradual loss of muscle control, according to the Mayo Clinic. The degenerative disease typically manifests initially through muscle twitching, weakness in a limb, or slurred speech, and advances to more severe symptoms. The exact cause of the disease is unknown, and there is no cure. According to statistics from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, people with ALS typically survive between three to five years following diagnosis, though some individuals can live for decades with the condition.

Dane first announced he was diagnosed with the disease in April, telling PEOPLE, “I have been diagnosed with ALS. I am grateful to have my loving family by my side as we navigate this next chapter. I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week.”

The actor, who stars on Euphoria as Cal Jacobs, father of Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs, also requested “ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”

Dane is married to Rebecca Gayheart, whom he wed in 2004. The couple share two children, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13. In March, Gayheart filed to dismiss her 2018 divorce, and told E! News just a day before Dane announced his ALS diagnosis that they are the “best of friends” and “are really close.”