Eric Dane and ex Alyssa Milano’s decades-long friendship

Eric Dane and Alyssa Milano There was a brief romance that turned into a decades-long friendship.

Dane and Milano dated in the early 2000s before Dane starred in ” Charmedstarring Milano, Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan. After the breakup, Dane went on to marry his wife Rebecca Gayheart In October 2004, Milano married her husband David Bougliari August 2009.

After their breakup, Dane and Milano remained friendly over the years. In April 2025, Dane revealed that he Diagnosed with ALS. Anatomy of the Gray Man alum died the following year 53 years old.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share that Eric Dane passed away Thursday afternoon after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He spent his final days surrounded by his dear friends, his devoted wife and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” the Dane family wrote in a statement. “While dealing with ALS, Throughout his life, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same battle. He will always be deeply missed and missed.”

After news of Dane’s death broke in February 2026, Milano paid tribute to her late friend.

“I couldn’t stop seeing the sparkle in Eric’s eyes before he said something that would either make you spit out your drink or rethink your entire point of view,” she said via Instagram then. “He had a biting sense of humor. He loved the absurdity of things. He loved catching people off guard.”

Keep scrolling to learn about Dane and Milano’s friendship over the years:

2000s

Alyssa Milano and Eric Dane dated in the early 2000s. The pair enjoyed a night out at the 2003 film premiere Dickie Roberts: former child star.

2003-2004

Eric Dane joins cast Charmed In season five, Dane plays Jason Dean, the love interest of Milano’s Phoebe Halliwell. Dane stayed on the WB series for two seasons.

2024

During a July 2024 episode of Dax Shepard’s “The Armchair Expert” podcast, Eric Dane opened up about his past relationship with Alyssa Milano.

“When I was 14, I had a huge crush on Alyssa. By the time I was 28 and we started dating, I wasn’t a kid anymore and she was a person. A lovely, wonderful person,” he recalled. “We dated for a while and she was apparently doing this show Charmed. She asked me if I would participate. I think I ended up doing about 10 episodes. “

Dane joked that his character was limited because they “broke up” in real life.

2026

Following the news of Eric Dean’s death, Alyssa Milano paid tribute to his family in a touching tribute.

“Everything about him softens when it comes to his daughters and Rebecca. He carries them with him even in rooms where they are not around,” she wrote on Instagram. “You could see it in the change in his voice when he said their names. An amazing, beautiful family.”

Milano also looks back fondly on his memories with Dane.

“The spark. The mischief. The tenderness he always guarded but never quite hid,” she continued. “He convinced me to get a pixie cut and a nose piercing. He also walked with me when we found my beloved rescue Chihuahua Lucy. He called me ‘Milan’ like it was the only important part of my name. My heart goes out to those who were lucky enough to be his home.”