Emmy-winning and Tony-nominated actress Anne Heche and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres were one of Hollywood’s sexiest couples in the 1990s.
They started dating in 1997 after meeting at a Vanity Fair Oscar party when Heche was a 28-year-old rising Hollywood star and DeGeneres, 11 years Heche’s senior, had a comedy career in booming.
The couple separated in August 2000 after three years together, citing in a statement that the split was “amicable”.
The joint statement released at the time read, “This is an amicable separation and we greatly appreciate the 3 ½ years we have spent together.”
However, a year later, DeGeneres revealed that the split came as a huge surprise to her.
In conversation with the Los Angeles Times, DeGeneres reflected, “She walked through the door and I haven’t spoken to her since, I don’t have the answers.”
For Heche, a year after the split, she married real estate broker Coleman Laffoon. They welcomed their son Homer in 2002.
In their later years, Heche and DeGeneres had spoken about their relationship and their breakup, with Heche sharing in a 2021 interview that she broke up over DeGeneres’ alleged pursuit of money.
Speaking in his podcast better together with Anne Heche and Heather Duffy Bolyston in June 2021, Heche reflected on why they quit.
When Boylston asked her directly why she broke up with DeGeneres, Heche said, “Well, I think you know the answer to that question. I think we could probably boil it down to one thing: if we live in the love and kindness, and that is my destination and my dream for all of us, I would say that was not his goal.
“I hope you like your money because that’s why I broke up with you. Do you like sitting on your piles of money? Because guess what, it gets you exactly where you are . And by the way, baby, that’s what you wanted then and I hope you like it now.”
She continued, “I broke up with her because her goal was to have lots of money. Mine was to find love and hers was, ‘I want $60 billion.’
Heche continued, “Good, good luck; our forks will never meet. The longer we continue with this, the further apart we’ll be.”
Speaking in 2001, DeGeneres said: “I thought Anne loved me with all her heart, but now I know the truth, Anne never really loved me. I see now that I was used”, as reported by RadarOnline.
Sadly, Heche was involved in a violent car accident that left her fighting for her life on August 5. She died on Friday August 12, 2022, at the age of 53. Her rep said in a statement that the mother-of-two would be “deeply missed”. by those whose lives she had touched.
When Heche was in the hospital, DeGeneres was asked about Heche’s condition by reporters, to which she replied, “We’re not in contact with each other, so I wouldn’t know. . I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
DeGeneres then tweeted after news of Heche’s death was announced, “Sad day. Sending Anne’s children, family and friends all my love.”
Heche’s death was ruled accidental by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner.
Newsweek has reached out to Ellen DeGeneres’ representatives for comment.