Heather Duffy is mourning the loss of her friend.
Days after the death of Anne Heche—who passed away on Aug. 11—her Better Together podcast co-host is speaking out about her death in a heartbreaking new post.
"I had to take a moment to begin to process the profound loss of my beautiful friend with the kindest soul I've known," she wrote in an Aug. 18 Instagram post. "Anne was joyful despite all the challenges that she faced in her life."
Heather continued, "She was truthful despite being in a business that is make-believe. Spreading love and kindness in the world is what mattered most to her, even if, at times, the world did not give it back."
Heather then referenced Anne's debut of her then-girlfriend Ellen DeGeneres in 1997, calling it an act of "bravery" and "sacrifice."
"Her public stand for equality empowered many LGBTQ+ people worldwide to see a future where they could live in their truth," she said of Anne, "which mattered to her more than anything."
She continued, "We have come a long way because of her truth, bravery, and kindness in that moment 25 years ago when she chose to bring a woman as her date to the premiere of Volcano."
Heather—who had hosted the podcast with Anne since 2020—shared that she wished media would have "circled back at some point" with Anne while she was alive to "recognize how harshly they judged her in those moments when she took a stand for equality."
Her message concluded, "She was way ahead of us, and we are all just catching up. Fly free, my friend. This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."
The Six Days, Seven Nights star died from inhalation and thermal injuries stemming from a car crash on Aug. 5.