Anne Heche pronounced legally dead

Update 2:

While Anne Heche has been declared brain dead, a representative for the actress said that she has not yet been taken off life support. “While Anne is legally dead according to California law, her heart is still beating, and she has not been taken off life support so that One Legacy can see if she is a match for organ donation,” the representative said. Sources have claimed that Heche will likely be taken off the ventilator within the next 24 hours. Although her body still lives, Anne Heche’s family and friends know she’s gone. “We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” reads a statement from the family. “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.“

Update:

The gifted actor Anne Heche died after being critically injured in a car accident last week. Her family confirmed word of Heche’s passing not long after being taken off life support. Those closest to Heche hoped she would make a recovery after being rushed to the hospital, though her injuries were extensive and ultimately led to her leaving us far too soon.

Heche is known for her wit, charm, and ability to slip into any role. Her name was on everyone’s lips in the early 1990s after playing twins on the soap opera Another World. Her first prominent feature film role was as Johnny Depp’s girlfriend in Donnie Brasco. She went on to star in films like Volcano, Wag the Dog, Six Days Seven Nights, Return to Paradise, and Gus Van Sant’s 1998 remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho.

Heche dated talk show host Ellen DeGeneres for three years, at which point the couple was the talk of Tinsel Town. Mind you; it was quite the thing to be out and proud at that time, so newsrooms and tabloids preyed upon Heche and Degeneres for the duration of their courtship.

Heche’s upbringing was harsh. Her father died of Aids when she was 13, and later Heche claimed to have been raped by him on multiple occasions. She said her father gave her genital herpes at a young age, but her family members denied her accusations. Three months after her father’s passing, her brother, Nathan, died in a car accident. Heche became estranged from her mother shortly after and embarked on a new path.

In 2000, Heche appeared on a stranger’s property and refused to leave. She even went so far as to settle in for a movie before being removed from the premises. Later, Heche said she was high on Ecstacy at the time and agreed to seek professional help. Heche blamed her upbringing for her spiraling behavior and wrote about it in her memoir. While promoting the book, Heche said she developed an alter ego to cope with her pain at a young age. Her other half was Christ’s half-sister, who had dealings with extraterrestrial life forms.

We here at JoBlo would like to extend our condolences to Ms. Heche’s family, friends, and fans. Taken from this world far too soon, we hope she finds peace in the Great Hereafter.

Original Article:

It brings me no joy to report that Anne Heche is “not expected to survive” injuries caused by last week’s near-fatal car crash. The actor, whose credits include films like Donnie Brasco, Six Days Seven Knights, Wag the Dog, and more, will be taken off life support after being pronounced brain dead by doctors. While surviving on a ventilator, medical professionals will determine which of Ms. Heche’s organs are in donatable condition.

Heche had been rushed to the hospital on August 5 after crashing her car into a Mar Vista house. The vehicle caught fire with Heche still inside. It took firefighters 65 minutes to pull her from the wreckage. She was still conscious for a portion of the rescue but became unresponsive shortly after that. After slipping into a coma, medical professionals have been monitoring her situation around the clock.

On August 8, Heche’s situation described her as being in extreme critical condition. “She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” a representative described Heche’s condition at the time. Heche was involved in a minor accident moments before connecting with the Mar Vista home, and toxicology reports revealed the presence of narcotics in her system.

In a statement to E! News, Heche’s family and friends thanked everyone for their “kind wishes and prayers.” They also expressed their sincere gratitude to the “dedicated staff and wonderful nurses at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital.”

The statement continued, “Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition. She is not expected to survive. It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are viable.”

The statement then focused on the impact of Ms. Heche’s gift on making those around her feel special. “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.”

We’ll keep our ears open for updates on Ms. Heche’s condition, though we do encourage everyone to send positive vibes her way and hope for comfort in such a difficult time.