Katherine Heigl has broken her silence on her Grey's Anatomy co-star Eric Dane's death

She began an emotional Instagram post on Sunday (22.02.26): "I debated this post for days.

"I have never been comfortable grieving publicly. I share my tears, my stories and my memories with those I'm closest to and more times than not I share them only with the heavens alone. But that silence can often look like a lack of care which I could not abide here."

She then addressed Dane's loved ones directly, offering a message that acknowledged the depth of their grief.

Mentioning his primary caretaker and ex, Rebecca Gayheart, 54, and their daughters, Billie Beatrice, 15, and Georgia Geraldine, 13, she continued: "Rebecca, Billie, Georgia... There is so little, if in fact anything, one can say about a tragic loss like yours. All the 'I'm sorries' and ' my prayers are with you' ring a bit hollow in the midst of so much pain and grief. So I will say the only thing that has ever brought me peace when I've lost someone I love."

She then quoted Robert Frost's poem Nothing Gold Can Stay.

Natures first green is gold, her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf's a flower; but only so an hour. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, so Dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay."

She added: "I will never forget Eric's gold and I will forever be grateful I got to bask in it for even a brief moment in time. Thank you for sharing him with us. God Speed my old friend...here's to your next great adventure."