A GoFundMe campaign launched in the name of Eric Dane’s teenage daughters was placed under routine review over the weekend, with donations temporarily held by the company’s payment processors while it verified the organizer and beneficiary.
The fundraiser, titled “In Honor of Eric Dane,” was created by an account identifying itself as “Friends of the Dane Family” and seeks $500,000 to support Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14. As of Sunday, Feb. 22, it had raised more than $300,000 from roughly 3,000 donations, according to the page.
GoFundMe said it routinely reviews fundraisers to verify organizers and confirm beneficiaries before releasing funds.
“Our Trust and Safety team is still looking into this GoFundMe and has reached out to the organizer to gather additional information,” a spokesperson said in a statement to the Chronicle. “All funds are being safely held by our payment processors during this review process.”
Later Sunday, the company confirmed that the campaign had been verified and that Rebecca Dane had been added as the beneficiary.
GoFundMe, which allows third parties to create campaigns, said the review was part of its standard process.
In an Instagram post, Mike McGuiness, who described himself as a longtime friend of Dane’s, said he was behind the effort.
“Covid and ALS did a number on his work life and he sadly couldn’t leave his family with the resources he had hoped,” McGuiness wrote. “A GoFundMe is being made and I will post it on my story for anyone able to help.”
McGuiness’ name does not appear on the fundraising page.
Dane, the San Francisco-born actor best known for playing Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” died Thursday, Feb. 19, nearly a year after publicly disclosing his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the progressive neurodegenerative disease also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 53.
The campaign says donations would help provide “stability during this incredibly difficult time” and support the girls’ future needs but does not provide a detailed breakdown of how funds would be allocated.
In his final Netflix interview, filmed before his death and released posthumously, Dane addressed his daughters directly, calling them “my heart” and “my everything.”
The page lists “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson and his wife, Ashley Levinson, among donors with a $27,000 contribution. In a statement shared with USA Today, Levinson said he was “heartbroken” by Dane’s death.
Dane is survived by his wife, actor Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters. Representatives for the family have not publicly commented on the fundraiser.
The review follows heightened scrutiny around public crowdfunding campaigns launched in the wake of high-profile deaths, including one organized after the death of “Dawson’s Creek” actor James Van Der Beek that quickly surpassed its initial goal.
GoFundMe encourages donors to review campaign details and platform guidelines before contributing.