Alyssa Milano is taking a stand to defend friends of late actor Eric Dane for creating a GoFundMe campaign in the wake of his death at 53.
The Charmed star, 53, pushed back against public outrage and claims that he’s a successful actor whose family doesn’t need financial assistance to cover medical costs and more, debunking the “myth” in a Substack post shared on Monday, February 23.
“A recognizable face from a beloved show 15 years ago does not guarantee permanent wealth,” she explained in her new post, adding, “The entertainment industry is cyclical and unpredictable.”
Dane died on Thursday, February 19, “after a hard-fought battle with ALS,” his GoFundMe stated, noting that “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 Grey’s Anatomy alum shared Billie, 15, and Georgia, 14, with Rebecca Gayheart.)
As of Wednesday, February 25, $463,000 has been raised out of a $500,000 goal.
Milano pointed out that loved ones close to Dawson’s Creek alum James Van Der Beek, who launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support his family, also faced similar comments: “Why are we giving money to elites? Aren’t they rich? Isn’t this absurd?” (Van Der Beek died at 48 on February 11 following a two-year battle with stage III colorectal cancer. The actor was a father of six, sharing daughters Olivia, 15, Annabel, 12, Emilia, 9, and Gwendolyn, 7, and sons Joshua, 13, and Jeremiah, 4, with his wife, Kimberly Van Der Beek.)
Milano explained there was a time when starring on a hit show “could provide steady employment for most of the year and residuals that offered real financial security between jobs.” However, that “system has largely disappeared” due to streaming platforms and shorter seasons with “far less compensation.”
Milano reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, noting it “halted production almost entirely,” with pilots coming to a screeching halt and films shutting down “mid-shoot.”
She went on to mention the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, “both necessary fights for fair compensation in a changed industry and the threat of AI” that meant “years without steady income” for many industry professionals. “This is why we start Cameo accounts or sell our gently used clothes from our closet or do paid ads on social media,” she added.
She noted many famous stars are not “heirs to vast fortunes” and said the word “elite” should be directed “upward” to executives, corporate boards and billionaires.
“Income arrives in bursts, followed by long stretches of waiting,” Milano continued. “Health insurance depends on meeting earnings thresholds. Families rely on consistency in a profession built on inconsistency. Add a serious health diagnosis into that equation and it’s impossible to stay afloat. Medical costs escalate. Earning capacity changes. Time becomes less flexible.”
Milano said friends of Dane and Van Der Beek were justified despite the GoFundMe backlash, declaring “what they were doing was not frivolous” and was truly an act of kindness to assist two families that need it.
“Communities have always done this. In small towns. In churches. In union halls,” she wrote. “When someone is ill, when someone is grieving, when uncertainty descends, people gather resources and say: Let us help carry them … That choice does not signal elitism. It signals love.”
