Grey’s Anatomy star Laura Ann Tull sparks FURIOUS backlash for calling Eric Dane a ‘bully’ days after his death

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Fans criticized Laura Ann Tull, a background actress on Grey’s Anatomy, after she publicly accused Eric Dane of being a ‘bully’ shortly after his death at age 53 from ALS.

Last week, Tull, a former background actor on the popular medical drama, publicly accused Dane of being fired from the show in 2012, claiming she was responsible in a post on Threads.

The actress, Dane, who played Dr. Mark Sloan on the show, responded to fan criticism by calling him names – ‘evil,’ ‘coward,’ and ‘jerk’ – after they accused her of being a bully herself.

Tull further claimed Dane was a ‘narcissist’ who allegedly ‘abused’ her on set.

She claimed she was the reason he lost his job at Grey’s, but she didn’t offer any proof to support that statement.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Tull for comment.

Fans strongly criticized the actress, with one person writing that it was insensitive to discuss this matter after the man’s death, especially considering he had young children and had suffered from a serious illness. They accused her of behaving like a bully.

‘So why didn’t you speak to your story while he was alive?’ another asked.

‘Yikes. Too soon, Laura.’

‘You couldn’t say these things about him when he was alive and able to defend himself?’ 

Someone else responded to Tull’s comments calling Dane a ‘bully’ and using offensive language by saying it was inappropriate to speak that way about someone who had recently died.

‘He can’t defend himself, so now you’re brave? That’s not honesty that’s cowardice.’ 

‘Shame on you,’ yet another person wrote. 

Okay, so someone really called me out on my statement about Dane, and honestly, they had a point. They pointed out I was repeating something someone else told me he said – basically, hearsay – and questioned if it was right to talk negatively about him, especially given his health struggles. They also rightly asked if it felt like I was, well, bullying him. It definitely gave me pause and made me rethink how I was handling things. It’s a good reminder that even when discussing difficult situations, we need to be mindful of how we’re communicating and the impact our words can have.

In a 2018 essay, Tull wrote that Dane had called her ‘weird’ several years before his death from ALS.

Tull stated she received the information in an email from Arne Starr, a representative elected to Sag-Aftra.

I didn’t have any direct conversations with Dane – I never spoke to him myself. However, I did overhear him talking about me, she claimed.

She also said Patrick Dempsey, the star of Grey’s Anatomy, appeared to make comments about her as well.

I’ve been a huge Grey’s Anatomy fan for years, and I absolutely loved Dane DeHaan as Dr. Mark Sloan! He was a core part of the show for six seasons, from 2006 to 2012. I remember first seeing him pop up as a guest star way back in season two, and I was so thrilled when he became a regular cast member starting in season three. He really made the show!

The character was removed from the show at the start of season nine. After a devastating plane crash at the end of season eight, Sloan died from his injuries in the second episode of the following season.

In 2024 he revealed there were several reasons he was written out of the show.

He explained to Dax Shepherd on the Armchair Expert podcast that he wasn’t exactly fired, but more that his position was eliminated.

Dane admitted he battled with alcohol and drug addiction while working there. He said it didn’t cost him his job, but it certainly made things more difficult.

Instead, Dane believed the reason he was let go was because he had become ‘very expensive.’

He explained that, like many actors who stay on the show for a long time, he was becoming too costly for the network to keep on the payroll.

The network understands the show will succeed no matter who’s cast, as long as it maintains its core elements and identity – what they refer to as ‘Grey’.

The actor died on February 19, less than a year after announcing his ALS diagnosis.

Eric Dane’s family announced on Thursday that he died that afternoon after a fight with ALS, according to a statement given to the Daily Mail.

In his last days, he was lovingly surrounded by his wife, close friends, and his daughters, Billie and Georgia, who meant everything to him. Even while battling ALS, Eric dedicated himself to raising awareness and finding a cure, hoping to help others facing the same challenges.

He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. Eric cherished his fans and was thankful for all the love and support they showed him. The family requests privacy as they cope with this difficult loss, as stated in their announcement.

I’m absolutely heartbroken to hear about Angus Cloud. He leaves behind his wonderful wife, Rebecca Gayheart, and his two amazing daughters, Billie Beatrice, who’s 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13. My thoughts are with them all during this incredibly difficult time.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease of the nervous system that impacts the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Over time, this leads to a loss of muscle control and eventually paralysis, according to the Mayo Clinic.

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2026-02-25 05:19