Anne Heche’s family have released a statement sharing that the actor is not expected to survive the injuries she sustained in a car crash earlier this week.
Heche was pulled from the burning wreckage of her car after she crashed into a residential building in Los Angeles. She lost consciousness shortly after rescue workers freed her from the car, and she has been in a coma for several days.
“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma in critical condition,” a representative for her family said.
“She is not expected to survive.” they said, adding that the actor was being kept on life-support while doctors ascertained if it would be possible for her to be an organ donor.
The family thanked supporters for their wishes of support following the accident.
“We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital,” the statement said.
“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love.”
“She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.” her family said.
Police have confirmed that the actor tested positive for cocaine and possibly fentanyl following the accident.
Police said however it was possible that the fentanyl reading may have been related to medication she was given as part of her treatment at the incident.
Heche was involved in two accidents in quick succession, colliding firstly with a garage, and then crashing into a house a short time later.
Her car reportedly collided with the building when it left the road at high speed. Firefighter said it took considerable effort to put out the blaze that ignited after the collision.
“Fifty-nine firefighters took 65 minutes to access, confine and fully extinguish the stubborn flames within the heavily damaged structure and rescued one female adult found within the vehicle who has been taken to an area hospital by LAFD Paramedics in critical condition,” Rescue workers said in a statement earlier this week.
Heche came to global attention in the 1990’s when she began dating comedian and actor Ellen Degeneres, not long after Degeneres came out on the cover of TIME magazine.
She appeared in many blockbuster films including Donnie Brasco, Volcano, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Six Days, and Seven Nights.
Heche later spoke publicly about how she struggled to get roles in mainstream Hollywood movies after she shared she was in a same-sex relationship.
Her relationship with Ellen Degeneres lasted from 1997 until 2000 when the couple split. She married to cameraman Coleman Laffoon from 2002 until 2007, the couple share a son. She later had a second child with actor James Tupper.
Heche shared her personal mental health challenges in her autobiography Call Me Crazy where she detailed several family tragedies including her father’s AIDS related death, and the deaths of three of her four siblings.
In recent years the actor has had a career resurgence, appearing in television shows including Quantico, All Rise, The Brave and Chicago P.D.
OIP Staff, images: Shutterstock
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