- Chyler Leigh has opened up about the heartbreak after teh death of Eric Dane.
- Leigh played Lexie Grey opposite Dane’s Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy.
- Dane died in February at the age of 5
Chyler Leigh has opened up about the heartbreak she experienced after learning about the death of her former Grey's Anatomy co-star Eric Dane. Leigh, who played Lexie Grey opposite Dane's Mark Sloan on Grey's Anatomy, said they shared a deep bond and had respect for each other.
During the May 14 episode of the You Might Know Her From podcast, Leigh said, “Eric had one of the kindest hearts. We had a deep relationship, a respect for one another.” She added, “It was really, really special working with him.”
The actress said she got to know Dane beyond his famous “McSteamy” character and always admired him deeply. In her words, “I got to know him really well, outside of the McSteamy, Eric Dane outside.”
She continued, “I watched everything that he was on afterwards, because I just loved the man.”
Dane died in February at the age of 53, less than a year after publicly revealing his ALS diagnosis. Leigh admitted she had not spoken to him for some time before he passed away. She recalled learning the news while she was in Los Angeles for work.
“My publicist called me and said, ‘Hey, I just want you to know, be prepared that Eric passed,'” she said. The actress added, “I was like, ‘Oh my God.' I didn't know how to comprehend it.”
It was during a flight the next day that she felt heartbroken. “All of a sudden, it just hit,” Leigh said, adding, “I had to keep getting up and going to use the lavatory because I was just sobbing.”
Speaking further, she admitted that watching old fan edits of Mark and Lexie all over social media after his death was difficult at first. As she explained, “Now when I see the Reels, it's not like, oh, I'm over it — I can kind of see past the absolute devastation of it.”
Following Dane's death, Leigh also shared a statement with E! News, calling the loss “devastating.” She also remembered him as a loving father to his daughters, Billie and Georgia, whom he shared with ex-wife Rebecca Gayheart.