Eric Dane misses Grey's Anatomy reunion at Emmys amid ALS symptoms

Actor Eric Dane said he missed a planned Grey's Anatomy reunion on the Emmy Awards stage last month because he was in the hospital receiving stitches after a head injury sustained when he lost his balance at home. The injury, which Dane and his representatives have linked to symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, forced him to withdraw from an appearance that had been scheduled with former co-star Jesse Williams.

Dane, 52, who announced his ALS diagnosis in April, described the episode bluntly. "ALS is a nasty disease," he said, adding that he was "in the hospital during the Emmys getting stitches put in my head." He said the injury occurred after he lost his balance and fell in his kitchen, though he has declined to offer further medical detail about the specific cause of the fall.

Producers removed the planned reunion from the ceremony after Dane was unable to attend. Williams presented the award alone and praised Dane on the red carpet, describing him as a close friend and saying he considered him "my brother." Dane said he was upset to miss the event, calling it "an opportunity I was really looking forward to" and noting he had hoped to reunite with castmates and colleagues.