Anne Heche Dies at Age 53 After Fiery Car Crash: Family Says They ‘Lost a Bright Light’
Actress Anne Heche died precisely one week after being rendered unconscious in a violent vehicle collision in Los Angeles on August 5.
She never regained consciousness after the accident and died on August 12 in a burn unit in Lost Hills, California. She was 53 years old at the time.
"Today we lost a brilliant light, a lovely and joyous spirit, a loving mother, and a faithful friend," a representative for Anne's family told People.
"Anne will be greatly missed, but her gorgeous boys, legendary body of work, and impassioned activism will continue on." "Her boldness in always speaking her truth and promoting her message of love and acceptance will have a long-lasting impact," the statement concluded.
Under California law, Anne is technically dead, but her family verified to the source that her heart is still beating and that she has not been taken off life support to allow the OneLegacy Foundation time to locate candidates who will be a match.
"Unfortunately, owing to her accident, Anne Heche sustained a serious anoxic brain damage and remains in a coma, in critical condition," her family and friends said in a statement sent through the actress' representative the night before. She is unlikely to survive."
"She has long chosen to donate her organs, and she is being maintained on life support to see whether any are viable," the statement continued.
Anne was seriously injured after crashing her Mini Cooper into a home in L.A.'s Mar Vista area, igniting both the car and the house. Paramedics extricated and rescued her less than an hour after the incident, but she had already suffered smoke inhalation and serious burns.
Her eldest son, Homer Laffoon, 20, whom she shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon, and Atlas Tupper, 13, whom she shared with her former companion of ten years and Men in Trees costar James Tupper, survive her. James uploaded a photo of Anne on Instagram just before her death and captioned it, "Love you forever," with a broken heart emoji.
Nancy Davis, a philanthropist, was one of Anne's first friends to speak out about her loss, publishing an Instagram message before her family acknowledged her death.
"There is a new angel in Heaven." @anneheche, my sweet, kind, fun, charming, and gorgeous buddy, has gone to paradise. I shall miss her tremendously and treasure all of the wonderful moments we shared. "Anne was always the sweetest, most caring person who always brought out the best in me," she said, with a photo of the couple.
Anne's first notable role was as twins Marley Love and Vicky Hudson in the NBC serial opera Another World from 1984 to 1992, for which she won a Daytime Emmy. Her breakthrough year was 1997, when she starred in the films Donnie Brasco and Volcano. That same year, she began dating comedy actress Ellen DeGeneres, and the two became one of Hollywood's first openly homosexual couples. Anne would subsequently admit that it cost her possibilities for advancement.
"My narrative is a story that produced change in the world, moved the needle for equal rights ahead when I fell in love with Ellen DeGeneres," Anne confessed during a Dancing With the Stars segment during her season 29 competition.
"I was in a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres for three and a half years, and the stigma associated with that relationship was so awful that I was sacked from my multimillion-dollar picture agreement, and I didn't work in a studio picture for ten years," she continued.
Ellen sent a tweet about Anne's death, stating, "This is a terrible day. I'm extending my love to Anne's children, family, and friends."