SOCIAL MEDIA

Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ Dies at 53

Eric Dane, the hunky actor who found fame and the nickname “McSteamy” for his eight-year run as the plastic surgeon Mark Sloan on the ABC drama Grey’s Anatomy, has lost his battle with ALS. He was 53.

Dane died Thursday afternoon, his reps announced in a statement. He revealed in April that he had been diagnosed with the rare degenerative disease, having first experienced symptoms a year and a half earlier.

“He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife [actress Rebecca Gayheart] and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the center of his world,” reads the statement.

“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.”

The San Francisco native also starred for five seasons (2014-18) as the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer searching for the cure to a global pandemic on the TNT post-apocalyptic drama The Last Ship. And on HBO’s Euphoria, he had a secret sex life as the father of Jacob Elordi’s Nate Jacobs during that show’s first two seasons (2019-22).

On the big screen, Dane portrayed Jamie Madrox/Multiple Man, who can create many copies of himself, in Brett Ratner’s X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and he was a newspaper reporter alongside Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston in David Frankel’s Marley & Me (2008).

The charismatic, blue-eyed Dane had already made an impression as a recurring character on The WB’s Charmed when he first appeared midway through the second season of the Shonda Rhimes-created Grey’s Anatomy. The childhood best friend of Seattle Grace Hospital neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), Mark had once had an affair with Derek’s wife, Addison (Kate Walsh).

On the second episode of season three, which premiered Sept. 28, 2006, an uncredited Dane is seen emerging from a hotel bathroom in a towel around his waist as Derek and Addison talk about their troubled marriage.

“In the moment, it was just another scene to me,” he told Diane Sawyer in an interview about his ALS diagnosis for Good Morning America. “I just remember walking out of a bathroom with a very nice [effects] gentleman blowing smoke [to create steam] toward me.”

Signed originally for just one episode, Dane became a regular after that scene and appeared in another 134 installments through May 2012, when Mark and soulmate Lexie (Chyler Leigh) are fatally injured in a plane crash during the eighth-season finale (Mark dies at the start of season nine).

While working on the show, Dane checked himself into rehab for an addiction to painkillers, he noted on a 2024 episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast. He added that he left the series because of budgetary reasons.

“I wasn’t the same guy they had hired. So I had understood when I was let go,” he said. “And Shonda was really great. She protected us fiercely. She protected us publicly. She protected us privately. … But I was probably fired. It wasn’t ceremoniously like, ‘You’re fired,’ it was just like, ‘You’re not coming back.’

“If you take the whole eight years on Grey’s Anatomy, I was fucked up longer than I was sober. And that’s when things started going sideways for me. It was overwhelming, and I think I just wanted to pretend that it wasn’t and that I was comfortable with it. Act like you’ve been there, but you haven’t been there.”

Dane did return for one final Grey’s Anatomy episode in 2021 during season 17 when he visits Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) on an imaginary beach while she is in a COVID-induced coma.

Eric William Melvin was born in San Francisco on Nov. 9, 1972. When he was 7, his father, William, an architect and interior designer, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. “My grandmother thinks it was an accident,” he said in a 2014 interview. “Everybody’s got a different opinion on it.” His mother, Leah, would raise him and his younger brother, Sean.

At San Mateo High School, he was a member on the water polo team, “got roped” into portraying Joe Keller in Arthur Miller’s All My Sons and fell hard for acting. A month before graduation, he quit school and moved to Los Angeles to take acting classes.

He made his onscreen debut on a 1991 episode of Saved by the Bell, then showed up on The Wonder Years, Married … With Children, Silk Stalkings and Roseanne before landing his first TV doctor gig on the 2000-01 ABC drama Gideon’s Crossing, starring Andre Braugher.

(Around this time, he started dating actress Lara Flynn Boyle while she also was involved with Jack Nicholson.)

Dane joined Charmed in 2003 to portray Jason Dean, Phoebe’s (Alyssa Milano) boss at The Bay Mirror newspaper and later her boyfriend, for nine episodes during the series’ fifth and six seasons.

In 2004, he played Charles “Tex” Watson, one of the Manson family, in the CBS telefilm Helter Skelter, starring Jeremy Davies, before he came out of that shower on Grey’s Anatomy.

“The towel scene has definitely done something for me,” Dane said in 2007. “I guess nobody has to guess what is under my T-shirt anymore.”

As he started out at Seattle Grace, Mark was a real scoundrel, called “McSteamy” by the female interns at the hospital (many of whom he had slept with). And in promotional materials for the series, he was described as “the kind of guy who women hate falling for but just can’t resist. Oh, and he can even suture his own cut face.”

In 2010, Dane and Dempsey appeared in Garry Marshall’s Valentine’s Day, and he played a wealthy clubgoer in Burlesque (2010), starring Cher and Christina Aguilera.

While on The Last Ship, on which he also served as a producer, the series went on hiatus in April 2017 while he dealt with depression.

More recently, Dane remained in demand with roles in the films Redeeming Love (2022), Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), One Fast Move (2024) and Borderline (2025) and with a stint as an FBI agent on the 2025 Prime Video series Countdown.

And in October, he played a firefighter with ALS on Brilliant Minds in his final role.

“Watching Eric Dane do what he loved — act in his final role on Brilliant Minds — was an honor,” DeMane Davis, producing director/executive producer on the NBC show, said in a statement. “He adored being on set, cracking jokes in between takes. Our crew and cast loved him. It was a gift to witness his talent, determination and joy.”

Dane said he proposed to Gayheart over dinner in October 2004, and they flew to Las Vegas that night and got married. She filed for divorce in 2018 but in March withdrew those documents, E! News reported; he told Sawyer that she was his “biggest champion, my most stalwart supporter.”

Friends have started a GoFundMe page for his daughters.

Talking about his ALS struggle with Sawyer, he said, “I’m angry because my father was taken from me when I was young, and now there’s a very good chance I’m going to be taken from my girls when they’re very young. At the end of the day, I all I want to do is spend time with my family and work a little bit if I can.”

The Hollywood Reporter

SOCIAL MEDIA

Panic as Miss Universe Stumbles during festival parade

Miss Universe Fátima Bosch worried onlookers when she suddenly fell to her knees while riding a parade float this weekend.

On Sunday, Feb. 15, the 2025 international titleholder attended the Fruit and Flower Festival in Ambato, Ecuador. While standing and waving to the crowd on a florally inspired platform, Bosch appeared to try to hold a railing behind her before dropping down in her mint-colored gown.

In videos of the incident since reshared on social media, those watching can be heard gasping and crying out in response to her unexpected fall. A woman climbed up the float to assist Bosch, who remained conscious as she spoke to the person who came to her aid.

Bosch did not immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment. The Miss Universe Organization’s Head of Communications, Miguel Ángel Martínez, tells PEOPLE in a statement that Bosch “experienced a brief episode of lightheadedness after several hours of outdoor participation” during the festival parade.

“As a precaution, she was immediately assisted by her team and local medical personnel on site,” the statement continues. “She remained conscious, was evaluated promptly, and recovered quickly. Out of an abundance of care, her schedule was adjusted to allow for appropriate rest and hydration. She is feeling well and expressed her sincere appreciation for the warmth and hospitality she received in Ecuador.”

Martínez adds in the statement, “Fátima is currently on her official international Miss Universe World Tour, which includes cultural, humanitarian, and community engagements across multiple countries. At every stop, we work in close coordination with local organizers and medical teams to ensure the safety and well-being of our titleholders.”

He maintains that the “health and security” of Miss Universe delegates remains the organization’s highest priority.

Bosch represented Mexico at the Miss Universe contest last fall, and after three weeks of events and appearances, she was crowned winner on stage in Bangkok on Nov. 21. However, her participation in the prestigious, global pageant made headlines shortly after she and her fellow contestants arrived in Thailand.

At a pre-pageant event on Nov. 4 — which was livestreamed on Facebook by Miss Universe Thailand — pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil called out Bosch for allegedly refusing to partake in a photo shoot meant for contestants to share on their social media pages. He claimed that she wasn’t fulfilling her duty to “promote the host country.”

Despite Bosch denying the claims, Itsaragrisil continued to chastise her, prompting several other contestants to follow her out of the room as she left.

Following her win, Bosch discussed her Miss Universe win during an appearance on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper on Dec. 4. When asked about the global reaction to the viral confrontation, Bosch insisted she was concentrating at the time so she “didn’t have the time to see what happened.”

People

SOCIAL MEDIA

Zayn Malik shares whether he wants more kids

Zayn Malik, who is already a father to a daughter, revealed that he wants to welcome more children in the future.

During an appearance on the latest episode of Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast, the former One Direction member said he isn’t opposed to having more kids in the future, but he needs his daughter Kai’s approval before he does anything.

Zayn Malik is already a father to a 5-year-old daughter, Khai, whom he welcomed with ex-Gigi Hadid

Zayn Malik, who is already a father to a daughter, revealed that he wants to welcome more children in the future.

When Alex asked Zayn whether he wants to welcome more kids in the future, the Die For Me singer replied, “I do. Yeah.”

“It’s not something that, like, I’m actively trying to pursue, but, yeah, for sure, I would like more kids,” he continued. “Obviously, Khai would have to approve too because she’s got the highest opinion, you know?”

“But yeah, never say never,” added Zayn.

For those unversed, Zayn already shares a 5-year-old daughter with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid.

Revealing how his daughter helps bring out his inner child, the Night Changes hitmaker said, “She’s just kind of brought a lot of things back for me, like how much I enjoy doing them things, you know? During the day, watching cartoons, things like that, like watching films and just enjoying kiddie stuff with her.

The News

SOCIAL MEDIA

Why Tom Cruise could relocate to Dubai

Tom Cruise has packed up and left his £35 million London apartment. The Hollywood star’s sudden departure follows a violent daytime robbery at a nearby Rolex boutique.

The 63-year-old actor had been a familiar presence in the upscale Knightsbridge neighbourhood. But recent crime has reportedly changed his mind about calling London home. When your local shopping district starts resembling a Mission: Impossible scene, it’s probably time to relocate.

The robbery that changed everything

Last month, a motorcycle gang targeted the Bucherer Rolex Boutique in broad daylight. The shop sits on the ground floor of One Hyde Park, the same luxury residential building where Cruise lived.

The robbery was swift and brutal. Gang members used machetes to fend off security staff while others smashed reinforced glass with hammers and specialist tools. They stole about 20 luxury watches worth hundreds of thousands of pounds.

The entire raid lasted just three minutes before the suspects escaped on motorbikes.

Staff were later seen removing boxes from Cruise’s apartment following his sudden departure.

A pattern of crime

The Rolex robbery wasn’t an isolated incident. Weeks earlier, luxury Italian fashion brand Loro Piana was hit in a car ram raid. The shop, a short walk from Harrods, lost clothing and handbags.

This weekend, another jewellery shop in Richmond was targeted. Shoppers filmed robbers smashing through windows as staff desperately tried to clear display shelves. Richmond is famous as the filming location for TV series Ted Lasso.

Knightsbridge and neighbouring Belgravia have faced ongoing issues with moped-related crime. Metropolitan Police figures show 295 crimes were recorded in the area in November 2025 alone.

Last year, a man was stabbed to death just a few hundred yards from the Rolex boutique, outside The Park Tower Knightsbridge hotel.

Street thefts involving “Rolex Rippers” have become common. Thieves target people wearing expensive watches or holding phones.

Cruise’s concerns

Sources close to Cruise say the robbery cemented his belief that the neighbourhood has declined.

“The over-aggressive attack on the store below cemented the lack of security surrounding the multimillion-pound flats where Cruise lives,” a source told The Daily Mail.

“It seems like Knightsbridge is becoming less safe by the week. He just felt the area has declined in the past year or two.”

Cruise had enjoyed running in Hyde Park and walking around the area. He was a low-key but familiar presence in the neighbourhood. But that lifestyle apparently no longer feels safe.

Could Dubai be next?

Cruise hasn’t announced where he’s relocated yet, but speculation is already swirling. Why the buzz? For starters, it’s widely believed he owns an apartment in Downtown Dubai, possibly in or near the Burj Khalifa—though the details remain under wraps.

Dubai has become increasingly popular with celebrities seeking safety, luxury, and privacy. Hollywood stars like Lindsay Lohan and Brad Pitt either own property in the UAE or spend significant time there. And, let’s not forget the city’s biggest selling point: safety. According to Numbeo’s latest ranking of the world’s safest cities, Dubai claimed second place globally. Out of 382 cities, it’s basically a stress-free playground for residents, tourists, and anyone who values peace of mind.

Snagging the silver medal, Dubai’s top-tier security comes from smart strategies, citywide innovation, and a clear commitment to keeping vibes high and crime low. The city scored a safety index of 83.9, narrowly behind Abu Dhabi, which has held the top spot for nine years with a score of 88. Sharjah came in third at 83.8—but honestly, Dubai’s combination of style, luxury, and security makes it feel unbeatable.

Cruise is also no stranger to the UAE. His death-defying stunts on the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol remain iconic, proving he’s familiar with Dubai and the wider region.

Whether he’s chosen Dubai specifically remains unknown. But his move out of London highlights a broader trend of wealthy individuals rethinking where they feel truly safe.