Actress Anne Heche Dead at 53

Anne Heche, the actress whose career included roles in movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and the 1998 remake of Psycho, died on Aug. 12 at age 53, following a car crash.

By Kisha Forde Aug 12, 2022 6:48 PMTags

Hollywood is mourning the loss of a star.
 
Anne Heche, whose career spanned over three decades and included appearances in over 40 films and television shows, has died on Aug. 11. She was 53 years old.

"Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend," a rep for the star told E! News in a statement on behalf of Heche's family and friends. "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."

The family's rep told E! News that while Heche is legally dead according to California law, her heart is still beating and she has not been taken off life support in order to allow OneLegacy Foundation enough time to find recipients who will be a match.

photos
Celebrity Deaths: 2022's Fallen Stars

News of Heche's passing comes one week after she was involved in an Aug. 5 car crash. The Donnie Brasco star was behind the wheel of her Mini Cooper when it collided into a home in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the vehicle was traveling at a high speed, so it "burst into flames and came to rest 30 feet inside the two-story home." 

Heche was treated on the scene and quickly transported to a hospital in critical condition. On Aug. 8, her rep told E! News that the actress had slipped into a coma and did not "regain consciousness since shortly after the accident."

Following her death, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that "there will be no further investigative efforts" made in the case of the crash.  

Heche's illustrious career began in 1987 when she landed her first starring role as twin sisters Vicky and Marley on the soap opera, Another World. Heche received a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991.

After her win, she earned substantial roles in If These Walls Could Talk, Donnie Brasco, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Six Days, Seven Nights, and the 1998 remake of the classic thriller, Psycho.

Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

Heche began dating Ellen DeGeneres in the late '90s, with the couple calling it quits on their highly-publicized three-year relationship in 2000. Earlier that year, the Nip/Tuck star was honored with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award at the GLAAD Media Awards ceremony. The annual award honors a LGBTQ+ member of the entertainment or media community for their work.

More than a year after her honor, Heche opened up about the importance of sharing all aspects on her personal life to the world.

"I have in the past understood that in being honest about certain things in my life, I've helped other people be honest, because they think that it's OK when somebody else admits what they've been doing," she said during a September 2001 appearance on Larry King Live. "You know, it helps other people. It certainly helps me when other people are honest about the journey in their life. It inspires me."

Maarten de Boer/NBC/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

A year after her split with DeGeneres, the actress married Coleman "Coley" Laffoon, with the two welcoming son Homer, 20, together before splitting in 2007. The following year, Heche began dating her Men in Trees co-star James Tupper and gave birth to another son Atlas, 13, before their breakup in 2018.

Prior to her passing, Heche completed filming in July 2022 for what would be her last on-screen role in the upcoming HBO series, The Idol.

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App