Heche Throws Ex Out of Bed

Tue., Jul. 10, 2007 5:23 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

Anne Heche did say that her estranged hubby spent too much time lying around the house. Behavior that must be substantially more difficult to engage in now that there isn't much for him to lie on anymore.

In court documents filed Friday, Coley Laffoon asked that Heche return at least a dozen pieces of furniture that she has removed from the Los Angeles house they used to share, and that the actress be further "enjoined and restrained" from taking any more personal property from the residence.

The king-size master bed, dining room table, yoga room rugs and Laffoon's office desk and chair are among the items listed in his declaration. (View the documents.)

Laffoon states that, while he was in Michigan on vacation with the couple's five-year-old son Homer, he received a call from his brother Brent Laffoon—who he had enlisted to feed their cat—saying that various items, including his bed, were missing from the residence.

Signed statements from Brent Laffoon and Laffoon's attorney, Jon Summers, were also filed along Laffoon's declaration in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Although theoretically the cat could be the culprit, Laffoon also states that, before he left for Michigan, he found that Heche had ripped the buttons from 19 of his shirts and removed several pairs of pants from the closet.

"In order to safeguard the rest of my clothing and personal effects from further destruction by Respondent, I have had to remove my expensive clothing, including my suits as well as other items," Laffoon said.

Meanwhile, Heche, who's due in Vancouver July 15 to shoot the second season of Men in Trees, filed a dueling motion rejecting Laffoon's claim on any of their stuff. (View Heche's response.)

The actress said that everything she took out of the house on Las Palmas was purchased before she swapped vows with the freelance videographer in September 2001. She asked that she not have to return anything until she and her ex agree on a settlement or the matter is resolved via court trial.

She neither confirmed nor denied being responsible for the button caper.

Heche's attorney, Nancy Braden-Parker, wrote in a letter to Summers that the items Heche took—Balinese pillows, a yellow armchair, pink bedding, a blue painted chest, etc.—are being used to furnish her pad in Vancouver and that she's not planning to dispose of any of it, as Laffoon suggested she might in his filing.

In his reply, however, Summers wrote that he found it "extremely disconcerting" that Heche went ahead and took things out of the L.A. house, which is currently on the market.

"Anne has not proven that any of the furniture and furnishings are her separate property, let alone the items that were removed," Summers said. "If Anne wanted to remove some items from the residence, she could have requested exclusive use and possession of them before she so brazenly removed them from the community residence.

"To request exclusive use and possession after the fact is unconscionable."

Laffoon filed for divorce in February and the duo have been trading barbs since May, when the stay-at-home dad petitioned the court for sole custody of their son.

Last month, a judge awarded them joint custody, although it was concluded that L.A. would be Homer's primary residence. While Heche is in Canada, her son will visit with her every other weekend, and when she's in L.A. they'll spend every other week together.