ABC "Dancing With the Stars" season 29 contestants.
Actress and season 29 “Dancing With the Stars” contestant Anne Heche is in a coma and not expected to survive following the fiery car crash that occurred on Friday, August 5, 2022, according to People.
A representative for the actress told the outlet that Heche suffered a multitude of injuries in the accident.
“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition,” the representative said in a statement. “She is not expected to survive.”
The representative continues, “It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she’s being kept on life support to determine if any are viable.”
“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 reads.
Heche’s representative also shared that Heche loved “spreading kindness and joy.”
“She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light,” the statement concludes.
Heche Has Not Regained Consciousness
According to her representative’s statement, Heche has not regained consciousness since her accident.
The actress has two children, both sons who were born to her exes. Her oldest son, who she shares with her ex-husband, real estate broker Colemen “Coley” Laffoon, is Homer Laffoon, 20, and her youngest is Atlas Heche Tupper, 13, who she shares with her ex-boyfriend, James Tupper.
Tupper and Heche met on the set of “Men in Trees,” according to Hollywood Life.
Heche is the daughter of Don Heche. She told ABC News in 2001 that she was sexually abused by her father, who had been dead for nearly 20 years at the time of the interview. Months after her father died, Heche’s brother, Nate, died in a car accident, according to the New York Post.
Heche first gained recognition while acting on the soap opera “Another World” in the late 1980s. Then, Heche starred in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Six Days, Seven Nights,” and “Return to Paradise.”
She also earned recognition for her work on Broadway. She was later on the 29th season of “Dancing With the Stars” where she competed alongside professional dancer Keo Motsepe.
Heche is also known for her high-profile relationship with comedian and talk-show host Ellen Degeneres. The couple started dating in 1997, and they broke up in 2000, according to ABC News.
At the time of her crash, Heche was part of several ongoing projects. “Girl in Room 13,” a Lifetime movie, will premiere this fall. She was also in a horror-thriller “Full Ride” and in Sam Levinson and The Weeknd’s HBO show titled “Idol.”
Keo Motsepe Sent Well Wishes
Heche’s “Dancing With the Stars” partner Keo Motsepe sent his love to Heche after hearing about her accident in a statement to ET Online.
“Anne was my partner on DWTS for Season 29. We became close friends and my heart breaks for her and her family over this terrible accident,” Motsepe told the outlet. “I am praying she makes a full recovery and I know the entire DWTS family is sending her healing thoughts. In working with her, I can say she has a strong spirit and is a fighter, and I know she will be doing all she can to heal.”
Heche and Motsepe made it four weeks into the competition before they were eliminated.
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