Gerrard Kaonga
Shonda Rhimes has explained why she agrees with the Oscars decision to not include Eric Dane in the Memoriam despite his death only last month.
Eric Dane, an actor best known for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan in Grey’s Anatomy, died at the age of 53 after a battle with ALS.
He died on February 19 and many fans across the world have taken to social media to offer kind words and tributes to the actor.
However, following the Oscars, some fans were left upset, confused and frustrated when Dane was not included in the In Memoriam section of the evening.
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Many big names who have died recently were included in the tribute, including Home Alone star Catherine O'Hara, who died on January 7 2026 and Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle who were murdered on December 14, 2025.
Other big names to have died recently include Diane Keaton, Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, and Diana Ladd — all of whom where mentioned at the ceremony.
Reportedly this year's In Memoriam was extended in a bid to pay tribute to all these people, but some notable figures were still missed, including the Dawson’s Creek alum James Van Der Beek, as well as Dane.
Some fans have suggested the Oscars did not mention either actor as they are more commonly known for their TV work rather than movies, despite having appeared in some films across their career.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Rhimes was asked whether she felt that Dane should have been in the Memoriam tribute and gave a candid answer.
Shonda Rhimes is still in disbelief over Eric Dane's passing, sharing it was a "huge loss" for the Shondaland family. The 'Grey's Anatomy' creator also reacts to the #Oscars leaving Eric out of their In Memoriam segment. pic.twitter.com/YKZky6wUbA
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) March 16, 2026
She responded by firstly praising Dane as an ‘incredible human being’ and adding: “I still say is because it’s very hard for me to believe he’s gone.
“He was a huge loss for us. He was a huge loss for the Shondaland family, for the Grey’s Anatomy family.
“And honestly the people that he knew, he was just a wonderful giving guy that I don’t know that everybody understands how amazing he was.”
The reporter then noted that fans noticed Dane was missing from the tribute and Rhimes appeared to surprise him with her answer to whether he should have been in it.
She said: “Well, he’s not a movie star, you know. And I feel like when the Emmys come around he will be, you know, immortalized the way he should be.
“You can’t fault the Oscars for the fact that they’re looking at movies and there were so many people who are lost but Eric was unique to television and I can’t wait to see what they do with him.“