Grey’s Anatomy alum Patrick Dempsey made his first public appearance since the death of his former costar Eric Dane.
Joined by wife, Jillian Dempsey, and the pair’s daughter, Talula, Patrick, 60, looked dapper in a black tuxedo while attending the 2026 BAFTA Awards in London, England, on Sunday, February 22. Jillian, 60, accompanied Patrick and Talula, 24, at a pre-BAFTA party at London’s 5 Hertford Street Club before the actor and his daughter posed for photos on their own on Royal Festival Hall’s red carpet.
The trio then attended a BAFTAs afterparty at The Twenty Two club once the ceremony wrapped, where they posed for further photos together. Dempsey served as a presenter during the awards ceremony.
The public outing comes after Us Weekly confirmed the death of Dempsey’s former on-screen rival, Dane, on Thursday, February 19, via a statement shared by Dane’s family. The Euphoria actor died that day at the age of 53 following a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
During an appearance on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show one day after Dane’s death, Dempsey, who portrayed Dr. Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd opposite Dane’s Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on the ABC medical drama, detailed his sadness over the news. “I just woke up this morning and it was very sad to read the news. It’s hard to put into words. I feel really so sad for his children,” Dempsey said during the Virgin Radio U.K. interview. “I was corresponding with him, we were texting, so I spoke to him about a week ago, and some friends of ours went in to see him and he was really starting to lose his ability to speak. He was bedridden and it was very hard for him to swallow, so the quality of his life was deteriorating so rapidly.”
Dempsey went on to reflect fondly on his friend and former colleague. “He was the funniest man — he was such a joy to work with, and I want to just remember him in that spirit, because any time he was on set, he brought so much fun to it,” he detailed. “He had a great sense of humor. He was easy to work with. We got along instantly. First scene was him, you know, in all his glory, coming out of the bathroom with the towel on, looking amazing, making you feel completely out of shape and insignificant.”
Dempsey continued, touching on the characters’ fictional rivalry, “We hit it off because it was never really any competition,” he explained during the appearance. “There was just this wonderful mutual respect. He’s wickedly intelligent, and I’m always going to remember those moments of fun that we had together and celebrate the joy that he did bring to people’s lives, and the real loss is for us who don’t have them anymore.”
In announcing Dane’s death, his family shared details into his final moments before reflecting on their own memories. “With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS,” the statement to Us read. “He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world. Throughout his journey with ALS, Eric became a passionate advocate for awareness and research, determined to make a difference for others facing the same fight. He will be deeply missed, and lovingly remembered always. Eric adored his fans and is forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support he’s received. The family has asked for privacy as they navigate this impossible time.”
ALS is an incurable disease of the nervous system that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and gets worse over time. According to Mayo Clinic, “The exact cause of the disease is still not known.”
