Janell Shirtcliff: Eric Dane’s daughters face immediate financial strain as friends launch GoFundMe amid donations and criticism

The real impact lands first on Eric Dane’s family: his daughters Billie and Georgia are the immediate focus of a crowdfunding campaign friends created after the actor’s death. janell shirtcliff

Janell Shirtcliff — who feels the impact and why friends stepped in

Friends of the late actor set up a GoFundMe intended to support his daughters and their future needs after he died. Some people criticized the fundraising gesture, while others donated. Here’s the part that matters: the campaign is framed as a stopgap to provide stability for Billie and Georgia as the family adjusts.

What friends said about starting the campaign and a Tokyo trip

One friend, Mike McGuiness, explained his decision to start the crowdfunding effort and shared heartfelt memories from a recent trip he and Dane took to Toyko before the actor’s death. McGuiness described how Covid and ALS affected Dane’s ability to work and left the family without the financial resources they had hoped to leave behind. He also reflected on their long friendship and said the illness was devastating to watch.

Fund target, current total and named donors

• The GoFundMe aimed to raise $250, 000.
• As of Saturday morning the campaign had surpassed $187, 000.
• Named contributors include Sam Levinson, Alyssa Milano and Randall Emmett; Sam Levinson and his wife Ashley Levinson were listed as top donors with a combined contribution of $27, 000.

Reaction, public criticism and industry perspective

Some responses to the GoFundMe were critical. A commenter who identified themselves as someone who mostly drives a van for cast and crew wrote that actors do not always earn high steady incomes, that pay can be delayed or reduced, and that take-home pay is often far lower than headline fees after taxes and commissions. The commenter added that movie roles can pay in the roughly $100k zone and that much is lost to taxes and fees, while TV earnings can be substantial but are vulnerable to long gaps between jobs.

If you’re wondering why this keeps coming up, the commenter framed the debate as one about how public visibility doesn't always equal long-term financial security, and contrasted that with countries that have cradle-to-grave national healthcare systems. They also urged readers not to fixate on who donates and suggested critics who habitually complain should be ignored.

Comments are monitored and moderators asked contributors to stay on topic and be accurate.

Family status, diagnosis timeline and campaign purpose

The family announced that Eric Dane died on a Thursday after he had publicly revealed an ALS diagnosis the previous April. Dane is known for roles on Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy. He is survived by his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, and their daughters Billie and Georgia.

• The campaign notes the funds will be used to support his daughters and their future needs.
• Organizers wrote that any contribution, regardless of size, will help provide stability during an incredibly difficult time and going forward.

What’s easy to miss is how the fundraiser combines immediate household needs with a longer-term appeal for stability; the language points to both short-term bills and future planning for the girls. janell shirtcliff

• Friends launched the GoFundMe after Eric Dane’s death to benefit daughters Billie and Georgia.
• Mike McGuiness described a recent Toyko trip and the toll of Covid and ALS on Dane’s work life.
• Campaign goal: $250, 000; raised: over $187, 000 (as of Saturday morning).
• Noted donors include Sam Levinson and Ashley Levinson (combined $27, 000), Alyssa Milano and Randall Emmett.
• Dane had revealed an ALS diagnosis the previous April and the family announced his death on a Thursday; he is survived by wife Rebecca Gayheart and daughters Billie and Georgia.

For readers wanting updates: the fundraising total and donor list may change as more contributions arrive and as organizers post updates.