Ellen DeGeneres sent love to her ex-partner Anne Heche‘s family following her death on Aug. 12 at 53-years-old. Ellen, 64, dated Anne from 1997 until 2000 and mourned her ex, who died following a car crash that left her comatose and brain dead. “This is a sad day,” Ellen wrote. “I’m sending Anne’s children, family and friends all of my love.”
This is a sad day. I'm sending Anne's children, family and friends all of my love.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) August 12, 2022
Ellen’s statement came after a representative for Anne confirmed that the Cedar Rapids star was brain dead and being kept on life support to see if she was able to donate any of her organs. Shortly afterward, the rep confirmed Anne had passed in a statement to HollywoodLife. “Today, we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” the rep 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.”
Shortly after Anne’s crash, Ellen had responded briefly to a question about her former girlfriend while out in Santa Barbara, shortly after the terrifying car crash. When asked about her thoughts on the I Know What You Did Last Summer actress’s accident, the former talk show host mentioned that the two hadn’t spoken in some time. “We are not in touch with each other, so I would not know,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to be hurt.”
After Anne’s crash, her representatives gave updates on the status of her health, including stating that she had been in “critical condition” and was in a coma following the accident. Her team shared that she was “not expected to survive” after the crash. “Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition,” they said in a statement received by HollywoodLife. “It has long been her choice to donate her organs, and she’s being kept on life support to determine if any are viable.”
Anne and Ellen started dating in 1997 after meeting at a Vanity Fair party, per Us Weekly. The pair’s relationship became public shortly after Ellen came out with her famous Time cover. Anne has spoken about the backlash she received for openly dating a woman at the time. “I was in a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres for three and a half years, and the stigma attached to that relationship was so bad that I was fired from my multi-million-dollar picture deal, and I did not work in a studio picture for 10 years,” she said while competing on Dancing With The Stars.