by Chelsea StewartBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI'm Chelsea, the Weekend Editor at BuzzFeed, where I cover everything from pop culture and politics to TV and celebrity news. Last week, Eric Dane died at the age of 53 following a brief battle with ALS. Steve Granitz / Getty Images The actor first shared his diagnosis in April 2025 and was candid about his "horrible" experience living with the rare neurodegenerative disease, which eventually required him to use a wheelchair and affected his speech. The Washington Post / Getty Images While he continued acting, physical limitations made work increasingly challenging. Speaking at a panel for I AM ALS in December 2025, Eric said, "I'm fairly limited in what I can do physically as an actor, but I still have my brain, and I still have my speech. So, I'm willing to do just about anything. I'll take on any role. But I think, from here on out, it's going to have to be ALS-centric." Saul Loeb / Getty Images He continued, "It's going to be very difficult for me to play any other role. I'm grateful I can still work in any capacity. I'm not going to concede my purpose for some disease. I'm just not capable of doing that." Nbc / Getty Images Before his death, he filmed a handful of projects, including the upcoming season of Euphoria and a November 2025 episode of Brilliant Minds, where he played a firefighter with ALS. Thomas Cooper / Getty Images A GoFundMe has since been launched to "help provide stability" for Eric's two daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, whom he shared with Rebecca Gayheart. Donations include $27,000 from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and his wife, Ashley; $20,000 from Hailey Bieber; and $10,000 from director and Gwyneth Paltrow's husband, Brad Falchuk. The fundraiser has raised nearly $300,000, surpassing its initial goal of $250K and prompting organizers to set a new target of $500K. Variety / Getty Images But some online commenters have questioned the need for a GoFundMe. Robin L Marshall / Getty Images A popular Reddit comment with 10,000 upvotes said, "Not to sound insensitive but rich celebrities families launching GoFundMe's and using their popularity to get overhwemimg donations when the economy is shit and people are struggling to afford every day essentials doesn't feel right. Sad he's gone but he was a part of some of the biggest shows in TV history I'm sure his coworkers/ production houses can donate to his family instead of sharing with the public." An X user agreed: "Eric Dane's death is awful & I was really sad to see it. His net worth was widely estimated at several million dollars. I don't understand why his family needs a GoFundMe." Michael Tullberg / Getty Images Amid the discourse, Eric's longtime friend Mike McGuiness took to Instagram to share more context. @mcguins / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/mcguins/p/DU_9ks2DdT5/?hl=en&img_index=1 Describing himself as a friend of the actor's for "almost two decades," Mike made the comment while reflecting on a bucket-list trip they took some time before Eric's death. @mcguins / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/mcguins/p/DU_9ks2DdT5/?hl=en&img_index=4 "Covid and ALS did a number on his work life and he sadly couldn't leave his family with the resources he hoped," he wrote in the caption. Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images Mike added that he would be sharing more about the GoFundMe on his Instagram stories, writing, "Love the ones you got." Comments