Actor Johnny Depp quietly offered late actor Eric Dane a rent-free stay in one of his Los Angeles homes, helping him through financial and health struggles, reports say.

The “Grey’s Anatomy” star passed away on Thursday at the age of 53 after a ten-month battle with ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that gradually weakens the muscles.

Depp and Dane had developed a close friendship years earlier through shared connections, which led the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor to open his home to Dane during his final months. According to Page Six, citing a source, Depp wanted to ease Dane’s burdens so he could focus on battling the illness without worrying about finances.

“He was essentially living rent-free in one of Johnny’s properties above the Sunset Strip. Johnny told Eric to pay whatever he could—or nothing at all—for rent,” the report noted.

The outlet added, “Johnny wanted to help lighten the financial strain.” Dane’s death comes less than a year after he publicly revealed his ALS diagnosis. Since then, he had been confronting the disease, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

In June 2025, Dane appeared on "Good Morning America," speaking candidly about coping with only “one functioning arm.” He said, “My left side is functioning, my right side has completely stopped working. I feel like maybe a couple more months and I won’t have my left hand either. It’s sobering.”

Eric Dane rose to fame as McSteamy, or Mark Sloan, on "Grey’s Anatomy". He joined Shonda Rhimes’s medical drama midway through its second season and quickly became one of the show’s central characters.