Nearly three months after Eric Dane passed away, Chyler Leigh opens up about the moment she found out about her former Grey’s Anatomy co-star’s death.
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During her recent appearance on the You Might Know Her From podcast, the actress, who played Dane’s onscreen love interest on the long-running medical drama, spoke about the loss of the late actor, who died amid his ALS battle.
“It had been a while since I had connected with him, and then I got the news,” she explained. “Then, it just hit me. At first, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this happened.'”
Leigh further shared that at first she didn’t know how to comprehend Dane’s death. The news didn’t settle until a few days later, while she was on a flight from Los Angeles to Nashville.
“All of a sudden, it just hit,” she said. “I had to keep getting up and going to use the lavatory because I was just sobbing. I didn’t know it was going to hit me that hard and especially that fast. It was definitely a grief.”
Leigh went on to reflect on the memories she shared with Dane. “When I see the reels [of his past work], it’s not like I’m over it. But I’m able to see past the absolute devastation of it and be able to appreciate even more so those incredible moments that we had together.”
While describing Dane as a “wonderful scene partner” who had “one of the kindest hearts,” Leigh noted, “We had a deep relationship, a respect for one another.”
She also called Dane a “deep, deep man.”
“It was really special working with him,” she continued. “We always were able to laugh even amid the most absurd or devastting circumstances.”
Leigh Previously Released a Statement About Dane’s Passing
Following the news of Dane’s passing, Leigh released a statement about the actor.
“Eric had a heart of gold,” her statement reads. “His humor and, especially, his laugh was infectious. He was a deeply intelligent man who could carry a philosophical conversation for hours even while we were on set.”
She further shared, “He was an amazing father and loved his girls FIERCELY. Incredibly passionate about his work and the causes he kept close to his heart.”
“The Universe is undoubtedly holding Eric now,” her statement concluded. “Just as I will continue to do within my heart forever.”