Emmys producer Jesse Collins said Monday he did not know the details behind actor Eric Dane’s absence from a planned “Grey’s Anatomy” tribute at the 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards, saying only that he had been told Dane “wasn’t able to make it.” Dane had been slated to appear onstage with former co-star Jesse Williams to mark the show’s 20th anniversary.
Producer Jennae Rouzan-Clay told Variety the tribute was intended to be simple and celebratory, not an elaborate set recreation of the ABC medical drama. Williams presented the award for Directing for a Drama Series alone during the ceremony; he did not mention Dane or “Grey’s Anatomy” while onstage.
The 2025 ceremony, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, handed major awards to programs including “The Pitt,” “Severance” and “The Studio.” “The White Lotus” notably left the night without wins.
On the red carpet before the broadcast, Williams praised his former co-star, saying he had “a really wonderful time working with [Eric] in particular” and calling Dane “my brother.” Williams told E! that Dane was “solid” and praised his balance and strength, adding that men should take care of themselves. The Post and other outlets reached out to Dane for comment about his absence.
Dane, 52, announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that affects muscle movement. He disclosed the diagnosis in April and gave his first television interview since the announcement in June on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer, saying he had “only one functioning arm.” He told Sawyer his right side had “completely stopped working” and that his left arm was deteriorating.
Dane said symptoms began about a year and a half before his diagnosis, when he noticed weakness in his right hand, and that it took about nine months of testing to reach the ALS diagnosis. He also recounted losing functionality in his legs while snorkeling, an episode that led one of his daughters to pull him back to a boat; he said his older daughter then returned to finish snorkeling with a friend.
The actor, who married Rebecca Gayheart in 2004, said in interviews that the diagnosis came weeks after he had abandoned plans to file for divorce. He said the couple had grown closer amid his health struggles and that Gayheart had become “my biggest champion and my most stalwart supporter,” adding that he leans on her.
Collins said he did not have further information about Dane’s reasons for missing the Emmys appearance. Rouzan-Clay reiterated that the tribute had simply been planned as a moment between the two former co-stars. Williams, who has continued to speak warmly of his time on the series and of Dane personally, carried the tribute segment alone during the ceremony.