Eric Dane went 3 years without knowing how his dad died

A posthumous memoir from beloved actor Eric Dane has revealed more about a family tragedy he suffered when he was young.

The American actor, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 53 following a battle with motor neurone disease, was working on a book before his death.

It has shed more of a light on his health struggles, as he was initially misdiagnosed with a treatable illness, while it also gave us an insight into one of his on-set clashes with fellow Grey's Anatomy star Josh Duhamel.

However, more tragically, it also gave us a look into his early days, which saw him lose his father at just eight years old, with the youngster only discovering the truth about his dad's death three years later.

He admitted that he spent the next 30 years of his life pretending that the loss of his father didn't impact him, as he recalled the moment that his mother told him the awful news.

Dane’s mother had said: “You got to promise me you’ll be strong. Your father’s dead. He died." She is then described as 'collapsing into hysterics'.

“I want to scream. I want to explode. I want to put my fist through the wall. I want to demolish the f---ing kitchen. But I say nothing. I hold everything in,” Dane recalled. “I’m strong, I want to shout at my mother. See how strong I am? I’m strong as steel!”

The actor died in February but a new memoir has been released posthumously ( Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Prime Video)

Dane later discovered his father had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, although he couldn't piece the details together on exactly who told him.

“Up until then, I hadn’t asked,” he wrote. “I don’t remember who tells me. My mom? My cousin? A kid in my class? I piece together the details.”

The actor speculated that his father 'was drunk' when he died from suicide. He wrote: “I keep thinking, God, he must have felt so alone, so helpless,” he added.

“The details of his death shock me, but I don’t let them touch me. It was three years ago,” he continued. “So long ago. I hardly remember. By now, I’m wearing my coat of armour. I’m so strong. So f*****g strong.”

Dane's memoir is another insight into his fascinating life, with the Euphoria star also recording an emotional Netflix documentary before his death which could be shown to his family once he was gone.

Dane also left a powerful message to his daughters after his death (Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

He passed away in February surrounded by his loved ones, who said: "With heavy hearts, we share that Eric Dane passed on Thursday afternoon following a courageous battle with ALS.

"He spent his final days surrounded by dear friends, his devoted wife, and his two beautiful daughters, Billie and Georgia, who were the centre of his world.

"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."

My Book of Days: A Memoir in Moments is out now.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.