United Kingdom, Feb. 20 -- Johnny Depp helped ease Eric Dane's financial worries in the months leading up to his death.

The Grey's Anatomy actor - who passed away on Thursday (19.02.26), at the age of 53, 10 months after he publicly shared his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - met the Pirates of the Caribbean star through mutual friends years ago, and his pal kindly allowed Eric to live "basically rent-free" in one of his homes amid his health woes.

A source told the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column: "Eric [had] one less thing to worry about.

"[He was] living basically rent-free in one of the homes Johnny owns above the Sunset Strip. He told Eric to pay whatever he could or - couldn't for rent.

"Johnny wanted...