Celebrities ‘heartbroken’ as Anne Heche declared dead at 53 after car crash

Ellen DeGeneres is among a host of celebrities paying tribute to Anne Heche, who has been declared legally dead after a horror car crash.

US actress Anne Heche has been declared dead a week after her horror car crash in Los Angeles. She was 53.

The Six Days Seven Nights star and mother-of-two, who had been in a coma since the accident last Friday, has been declared legally dead according to California law, but remains on life support to determine whether her organs can be donated.

Heche’s ex-girlfriend Ellen DeGeneres has led high-profile tributes to the actress, saying it was a “sad day.”

This is a sad day. I'm sending Anne's children, family and friends all of my love.

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) August 12, 2022

DeGeneres, 64, and Heche dated for three years from 1997. The duo were arguably Hollywood’s most visible same-sex couple.

BBC reporter Megha Mohan paid tribute to Heche, in which she revealed how the Emmy-nominated actress risked her job to walk alongside DeGeneres at the premiere for her 1997 movie, Volcano.

Anne Heche said bosses told her not to take then girlfriend Ellen DeGeneres to Volcano premiere in 1997. “I was told if I took Ellen, I would lose my Fox contract,” Heche told Page Six. “At that moment, she took my hand and said, ‘Do what they say,’ and I said, ‘No thanks.’” RIP. pic.twitter.com/JmC9OqwKml

— Megha Mohan (@meghamohan) August 12, 2022

Kids today don't know what it was like, but I vividly recall when Anne Heche and Ellen Degeneres came out about their relationship back in 1997. I was in awe, and remember thinking, "This could really change things for people." Thank you for so bravely taking that step, Anne. RIP pic.twitter.com/gmTxCPLlOx

— Ted Geoghegan (@tedgeoghegan) August 12, 2022

Meanwhile, Heche’s son Homer Laffoon, 20, released a statement on behalf of himself and Heche’s other son, 13-year-old Atlas Heche Tupper.

“My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom. After 6 days of almost 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,” he said.

Elsewhere, many celebrities have also expressed their sadness over the news:

I’m very upset and sad that Anne Heche is not expected to live.And yes she would have been arrested for driving under the influence and putting lives in danger .she still is a great artist and struggled with addiction it’s terribly sad for her children and for her friends. ✌🏼

— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) August 12, 2022

Honest to God, I think maybe the best acting performance I’ve ever seen in my life was Anne Heche in PROOF on Broadway. #RIP

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 12, 2022

i'm so sad about anne heche. a luminous actor…a mental health advocate whose honesty about her own struggles has helped so many others. i loved getting to know her when she played catherine in Silver Bells. sending love to her family, friends, and all who love her. pic.twitter.com/aOnje2qxKG

— Luanne Rice (@LuanneRice) August 12, 2022

My heart goes out to
Anne Heche’s children.
No child should lose their mother at such a young age. #KidVicious🙏🏼

— KID VICIOUS🔪 (@kirkacevedo) August 12, 2022

Anne Heche: never ever contrived or copying anybody on the silver screen. Her perturbed, spiky intensity -- unforgettable and unmistakable. Many rich performances but if you want to start with an underrated one, check out BIRTH. This news is heartbreaking. https://t.co/eH1eMehZxL

— Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) August 12, 2022

RIP Anne Heche. My heart breaks. One of the kindest and most talented actors I’ve ever worked with. God bless you. You will be greatly missed.

— Isiah Whitlock Jr. (@IsiahWhitlockJr) August 12, 2022

The Daytime Emmys sends love and light to the family and loved ones of Daytime Emmy winner Anne Heche. Her performance as Victoria/Marley on Another World touched the world and lives on in our memories. Our sincerest sympathies.

— Daytime Emmys (@DaytimeEmmys) August 12, 2022

It comes after a representative for Heche said in a statement overnight that she had died following the devastating collision but still “has a beating heart” while on life support.

“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” the statement said.

“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.”

Anne Heche has been declared legally dead aged 53. Picture: Michael Bezjian/Getty Images for Mammoth Media Institute

Hours before Heche was declared dead, her family released a statement saying the star was “not expected to survive.”

“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma in critical condition,” Heche’s family said in a statement, obtained by People. “She is not expected to survive.”

It comes after police confirmed on Friday that Heche tested positive for cocaine and possibly fentanyl at the time of her crash.

Los Angeles Police Department sources told TMZ that the actor’ blood test results came up positive for both substances.

However, the law enforcement insiders cautioned that fentanyl may have been administered to Heche at the hospital to help manage her pain after the accident, so they will do more testing to determine whether the fentanyl was in her system at the time of the crash.

Heche was in an “extreme critical condition” following the collision in Mar Vista, which saw the actress pulled from her vehicle when it burst into flames after crashing into a home.