LOS ANGELES – Actress Anne Heche died after being taken off life support on Sunday, nearly 2 weeks after her Mini-Cooper crashed into a two-story home in the Mar Vista neighborhood of LA. Investigators with the Los Angeles Police Department believe she was intoxicated at the time.
She suffered a severe brain injury with severe burns and is being treated at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital, near Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley.
The 53-year-old actress, who starred in films like Donnie Brasco, the political star Wag the Dog and the 1998 remake of Psycho, was declared legally dead under California law on Friday, however, her family said. keep her alive for as long as possible. became an organ donor.
In a statement Friday, the LAPD announced: “As of today, there will be no further investigation into this incident. Any information or data requested prior to this incident will still be collect them as they come as a matter of principle and are integrated into the overall case. When a person suspected of committing a crime is finished, we will not submit a report to investigate.” LAPD officials previously disclosed to the public that accident investigators found narcotics in a blood sample taken from Heche.
The actress’ family released a statement on Friday:
“Today we have lost a bright light, a kind and joyful spirit, a loving mother, and a faithful friend. Anne will be greatly missed but lives on through her beautiful children, her wonderful work, and her advocacy. Her commitment to always stand by the truth, spread the message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact,” the statement said.
Heche was married to camera operator Coleman Laffoon from 2001 to 2009. The two have a son, Homer, together. She gave birth to a son, named Atlas, during a relationship with actor James Tupper, her co-star in the TV series “Men in Trees.”
Laffoon left a moving tribute in an Instagram reel in which he also explained how their 20-year-old son Homer Laffoon is dealing with the loss of his mother.
“I love her and I miss her, and I will always go,” he said, adding: “Homer is sick. It’s stressful, of course, and it’s difficult. It’s really difficult, as possible anyone can imagine. But his family surrounds him and he is strong, and he will be fine.”
“Rest in peace, Mom, I love you, Homer,” the 20-year-old actor, Homer, said in a statement after Heche was legally declared dead on Friday. “My brother Atlas and I lost our mother,” the statement said. “After six days of unbelievable emotions, I was left with a deep, speechless sadness. Hopefully, my mother is free from pain and begins to discover what I like to think of as her eternal freedom. During those six days, thousands of friends, family, and fans shared their hearts with me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my mom Alexi who continue to be my rock during this time. Rest in Peace Mom, I love you, Homer.
Canadian actor James Tupper, who starred alongside Heche in the ABC television series Men in Trees, has a 13-year-old son, Atlas, with her. “I love you forever,” Tupper, 57, wrote on his Instagram account with a broken heart emoji, sharing a photo of the actress from Men in Trees.
Between 1997 and 2000, Heche was also in a relationship with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. “This is a sad day,” DeGeneres said on Twitter. “I send Anne’s children, family and friends all my love.” The year after her breakup with the comedian, in September 2001, Heche opened up in her memoir, “Call Me Crazy,” about her life’s struggles with mental health and her childhood of abuse.
KTLA entertainment correspondent Sam Rubin noted that over the past two decades, Heche’s career has played out many times. In 2017, she hosted a weekly radio show on SiriusXM with Jason Ellis called “Love and Heche.”
In 2020, Heche entered the podcast world. She launched “Better Together” which she co-produced with Heather Duffy Boylston. The show was described as a way to celebrate friendship.
She has also worked in small films, on Broadway, and on TV shows. She recently appeared as a regular on the network series “Chicago PD,” “All Rise,” and was a contestant on Season 29 of “Dancing With the Stars.”
People magazine reported that many of Heche’s plays are expected to be released posthumously.
These include The Girl in Room 13, which is expected to be released on Lifetime in September 2022, The Leftovers, which is scheduled to air in 2023, and the HBO Max series The Idol , created by Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.
In her Insta post from earlier this year, Heche is standing between her brothers Atlas, 13, and Homer, 20.
