It is now being reported that actress Anne Heche, after spending a week in a coma following a series of devastating car crashes, has been taken off of life support and – according to her representatives – “peacefully” died in her sleep. The Volcano star was 53 years old.
Anne Heche had been professionally acting since 1987, when she landed the part of Vicky Carson on the soap opera Another World. Over the years, she would mix high-profile television work such as Murphy Brown, Ally McBeal and Everwood with film roles that expanded her celebrity. She’s likely best known for acting opposite Harrison Ford in the romantic comedy Six Days Seven Nights or Tommy Lee Jones in the disaster picture Volcano. Though more recently, she lent her voice to the popular The Legend of Korra and earned a new and widespread fanbase.
Heche has been generating daily news coverage since she crashed her automobile twice in Los Angeles. The first time, Heche drove into the garage of an apartment complex. The second and final time, Heche careened off of the road at high speeds and landed in someone’s home. She was rushed to the hospital and remained in critical condition, though authorities weren’t able to properly conduct toxicology reports on the actress due to her critical condition.
Eventually, reports were taken and results were released. Cocaine was found in the actress’s bloodstream, as was fentanyl, but it’s unclear of the latter was given to her in the hospital as part of her pain treatment. Photographs taken on the scene of the initial crash, the one that heche drove away from, suggested that a bottle of Vodka may have been present in the car’s cup holder, though nothing has been confirmed since.
Support for Anne Heche flowed over social media in the days following her accident. Her former ex husband Coleman “Coley” Laffoon shared a touching video salute to Heche and gave an update on their son, Homer. Fellow actor James Tupper, who was in a relationship with Heche from 2007-2018, also posted a loving message to the actress and featured a photo of her with their teenage son, Atlas Heche Tuppwer. Of course, Heche was involved with talk show host Ellen Degeneres for a highly publicized relationship that last years, but when paparazzi caught up with Degeneres, she only said that the two no longer keep in touch.
With Anne Heche being taken off of life support, People is now reporting that an organ recipient has been matched, which is part of the reason why the decision was made to remove the actress from the assistance. We hope that her family and friends find peace and comfort in the days ahead, which are sure to be difficult following the loss.