Anne Heche Dies At 53: Report

MAR VISTA, CA —Actress Anne Heche died Friday, a week after crashing her car into a Mar Vista home. The Emmy Award-winning and Tony-nominated actress was 53 years old.

She was removed from life support after a week-long coma due to a severe brain injury suffered in the fiery crash. Her son Homer confirmed her death in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

“My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom. After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with deep, wordless sadness,” he wrote to the LA Times. “Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom."

Heche was kept on life support at Grossman Burn Center and West Hills Hospital after the fiery crash a week ago to preserve her organs. Medical professionals are determining if her organs are viable for donation as had been her wish, according to her family and friends.

Coley Laffoon, Heche's ex-husband and father of her son Homer, said he will remember her as someone who was fearless and fiercely believed in the power of love.

"I'd like to think [Anne] is free from pain and enjoying or experiencing whatever is next in her journey," Lafoon said on Instagram. "Thank you for all the good times; there were so many. See you on the other side, and in the meantime, I got our son, he'll be fine."

The Los Angeles Police department is still determining if narcotics were a factor at the time of the crash. Officer Lizeth Lomeli said they still need to rule out medications that were given at the hospital.

Heche drove her car into a home, setting it ablaze. The resident of the home was in her backyard and narrowly missed the crash but suffered minor injuries, according to officials.

"It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to the talented Anne Heche," Lifetime said on Twitter. "Anne was a brilliant actress that brought her passion into every project."

The award-winning actress gained more distinction with roles in "Donnie Brasco," "Volcano" and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" in 1997. Heche also famously dated talk show host Ellen DeGeneres in 1997, a barrier-breaking relationship that confronted homophobia in Hollywood. The couple broke up in August of 2000.

"I'm sending Anne's children, family and friends all of my love," DeGeneres said on Twitter.

Heche was born on May 25, 1969, in Aurora, Ohio. The actress rose to fame on the soap opera "Another World" from 1987 to 1991 and won a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance. Her recent role in Lifetime's "Girl in Room 13" was set to premiere this fall.

Heche had two sons, Homer Heche Laffoon with ex-husband Coley, and Atlas with actor James Tupper, her co-star on the 2006 ABC series "Men in Trees." Tupper and Heche separated in 2018.