Johnny Depp Provided Rent-Free Housing to Late Eric Dane in Los Angeles
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, Johnny Depp allowed Eric Dane to live in one of his Los Angeles homes without paying rent, aiming to alleviate his financial burdens in the months leading up to his passing.
The Grey’s Anatomy star passed away last Thursday at the age of 53, ten months after publicly announcing his diagnosis with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The Pirates of the Caribbean star, who had befriended Dane through mutual friends years ago, offered him the residence as his physical condition began to decline.
A source told Page Six that Depp wanted to support Dane so he could focus on his battle with the disease without additional stress: “Eric had one less thing to worry about.” The source added, “He was essentially living rent-free in one of Johnny’s houses above the Sunset Strip. Johnny told Eric to pay whatever he could, or even nothing at all. He wanted to do everything possible to ease the financial pressure.”
In his final interview, Dane described ALS as “something absolutely horrific.” He first noticed weakness in his right hand in early 2024, initially dismissing it as fatigue from “too much texting.” After months of testing and consulting multiple specialists, he received a formal diagnosis in April. By June, he had lost all strength in his right hand.
It was previously reported that when Dane was diagnosed, his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, halted their divorce proceedings and recommitted to staying by his side during his illness.
