They’re huge stars but when they die, fans are being asked to pay the bills

Before he lost his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Grey’s Anatomy actor Eric Dane secretly sat down with television titan Brad Falchuk for an interview he knew would air only after his death.

On Friday, Dane died aged 53. Within hours, Netflix broadcast his Famous Last Words for the world – and his children – to watch for the first time.

“Choose your friends wisely,” Dane advised in a message to his daughters, Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14. “Find your people and allow them to find you, and then give yourselves to them. The best of them will give back to you. No judgment. No conditions. No questions asked.”

But some have been asking questions.

Shortly after Dane’s death was announced, “Friends of the Dane Family” launched a GoFundMe appeal for the daughters the actor had with estranged wife Rebecca Gayheart. The unspecified group set an initial fundraising goal of $US250,000 ($353,000) to “support his girls and their future needs”. It’s since been upped to $US500,000 ($706,000).

“Any contribution, no matter the size, will help provide stability during this incredibly difficult time and in the future for Eric’s wonderful daughters,” the crowdfunding campaign’s call to action concluded. Euphoria creator Sam Levinson – who directed Dane as Cal Jacobs in the show – was one of many to heed it, donating $US27,000. Then came the backlash.

“What a greedy effing family. Eric, I loved you, but man, I have lost all respect for your family,” one user wrote on the post shared to Dane’s 3.5 million Instagram followers two days after his death, asking for donations.

Many speculated Dane’s net worth to be in the millions and lambasted his loved ones for asking for donations from fans who have not had the privileges that come with a Hollywood life.

It’s not known what fortune, if any, Dane left for his children; when he announced his ALS diagnosis in April 2025, Dane was due to return to the Euphoria set the following week, and vowed to continue working until his death. But that would come only 10 months later, less than two months after Gayheart detailed the financial pressures that came with the former couple’s new reality: Dane required the care of nurses 24/7.

“The health insurance company will deny you what you’re asking for … and then you have to apply again,” Gayheart wrote for The Cut. (Gayheart and Dane separated in 2017 after 15 years together, but Gayheart withdrew her divorce petition after Dane’s diagnosis to set an example for their daughters.)

Criticism of the GoFundMe ricocheted beyond the 9000 comments left underneath the Instagram plea, and GoFundMe temporarily put the fundraiser on hold as it investigated its legitimacy. In a statement to The Independent, GoFundMe confirmed overnight the fundraiser had been verified and was active.

Perhaps netizens would have been more forgiving if they hadn’t also been asked to donate to another late A-lister’s crowdfunding campaign less than 10 days prior. Dawson’s Creek star James Van Der Beek’s death aged 48 this month, following a stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis, prompted an outpouring of support and outrage in equal measure.

“Your generosity will help cover essential living expenses, pay bills, and support the children’s education,” a message written by verified GoFundMe organisers “Friends of the Van Der Beek family” read in part.

“Every donation, no matter the size, will help Kimberly and her family find hope and security as they rebuild their lives.”

More than 50,000 people – including Steven Spielberg and the highest-grossing actor of all time, Zoe Saldaña – have donated $US2.7 million ($3.8 million) to the crowdfunding campaign set up on behalf of Van Der Beek’s wife and their six children.

Many, however, are asking why some of the world’s most famous faces ask humble laypeople to shell out to support their families. Isn’t it meant to be the other way around?

Three months before his death, Van Der Beek was forced to auction off his personal collection of props and costumes from Dawson’s Creek and Varsity Blues for $US47,000 to fund his treatment.

Complicating matters when his posthumous GoFundMe was launched were reports that he sought expensive alternative therapies, which are dangerous when used instead of evidence-based, conventional medical treatments. (Investigations from outlets including The Hollywood Reporter suggest Van Der Beek did receive traditional medical treatment.)

There were also questions as to the fairness of asking people to help pay off the mortgage for his family’s 14.5-hectare ranch in Texas, worth $US4.76 million ($6.7 million), when many will struggle to afford a one-bedroom studio apartment – and don’t have millions of followers they can ask to chip in.

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