Grey’s Anatomy background performer Laura Ann Tull has faced substantial public criticism after publishing statements on social media in which she characterized the late Eric Dane as a “bully” in the days following his death at age 53 from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Tull, who previously appeared as an extra on the long-running medical drama, posted a series of remarks on Threads alleging that Dane—who portrayed Dr. Mark Sloan—engaged in inappropriate conduct toward her during production. In those posts, she further asserted, without presenting supporting documentation, that she was responsible for his departure from the series in 2012. She described the actor using pejorative terms and alleged that he had mistreated her on set.
A request for comment has reportedly been directed to Tull; however, no public response has been issued to date.
Numerous social media users publicly rebuked Tull for the timing and tone of her statements, noting that Dane had recently passed away and was unable to respond to the allegations. Critics questioned why the claims were not pursued while he was alive and characterized her remarks as inappropriate under the circumstances.
Tull had previously referenced similar allegations in a 2018 Medium essay, in which she claimed she was informed by a third party that Dane had made disparaging comments about her. She acknowledged at that time that she had not directly communicated with him. In the same essay, she referenced Patrick Dempsey, asserting that he also appeared to comment about her, though no independent verification of those assertions was provided.
Dane appeared on Grey’s Anatomy from 2006 through 2012, initially as a guest star before becoming a series regular. His character was written out following the storyline of a plane crash. In a 2024 interview on the Armchair Expert podcast hosted by Dax Shepard, Dane stated that he believed financial considerations, rather than personal misconduct or substance-related struggles, contributed to his departure from the series.
Dane passed away on February 19, less than one year after publicly disclosing his ALS diagnosis. In a statement issued to the press, his family indicated that he died surrounded by loved ones and highlighted his advocacy efforts for ALS awareness and research. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and their two daughters.
As with all unproven allegations, Tull’s claims remain assertions and have not been adjudicated in a court of law.#newsafro_
