After a horrific car crash last week, Anne Heche’s family have announced that she will not recover from her injuries. As of Friday, the 53 year old is still on life support while doctors decide if there are viable organs that can be used for transplantation. The Dancing with the Stars alum had been declared brain dead within the past few days.
“While Anne is legally dead according to California law, her heart is still beating, and she has not been taken off life support so that One Legacy can see if she is a match for organ donation,” a rep for Heche said.
Her family and friends, who consider her passed released a statement on Friday.
Family released a statement
“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” the statement says. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”
Heche’s older son, Homer Laffoon, also issued a statement Friday, mourning the mom he shared with his younger brother Atlas.
“Today my brother Atlas and I lost our Mom,” Laffoon said. “After six days of unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom. Over those six days, thousands of friends, family and fans made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my step-mom Alexi, who continue to be my rocks during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you, Homer.”
Ex-girlfriend Ellen Degeneres shared condolences on social media
In the late 90’s, Heche was involved in a groundbreaking breaking relationship with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. The two publically dated at a time when same-sex relationships were still considered taboo. Ellen responded to the news that her former girlfriend would not survive the car crash on social media.
“This is a sad day. I’m sending Anne’s children, family, and friends all of my love,” she wrote. The two dated from 1997 to 2000.
This is a sad day. I'm sending Anne's children, family and friends all of my love.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) August 12, 2022
Heche competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2020
Heche competed on Dancing with the Stars season 29 in 2020 alongside pro dance Keo Motsepe. The pair were eliminated 3rd and finished in 13the place in the competition. The couple were eliminated on a night where a mixup found new host Tyra Banks having to bring back a couple already declared safe. After the confusion was sorted out, the judges sent Heche and her partner home.
Watch all four of the actress’s Dancing with the Stars routines below.
Reportedly, Heche was negotiating to appear on The Masked Singer
Reportedly, Heche was planning to add to her reality television resume at the time of her death. Deadline reports that she had been in talks to be one of the celebrity contestants on the upcoming eighth season of the Fox competition, The Masked Singer. But, as the outlet points out, the new season is currently in production, and she was not booked for it. But, they report she did have a preliminary agreement in place. Perhaps she would have stepped in if another celebrity dropped out.
Last Friday, Heche crashed her car into a Mar Vista, California house at a high rate of speed. The dwelling caught on fire. The woman who lived there and her pet were able to escape. However, dozens of firefighters battled the blaze for 65 minutes before she could be safely pulled out of the wreckage. Heche was able to communicate at the time, but lost consciousness shortly afterward and has remained in a comma ever since. Heche suffered an anoxic brain injury, which deprives the brain of oxygen, according to the family’s rep.
