Anne Heche, who died on August 12, 2022 at the age of 53 after being in a fiery car accident under the influence of cocaine, has had several relationships throughout her career as an actress.
From her long-term relationship with Ellen DeGeneres to her marriage to Coleman Laffoon and a high profile fling with Vince Vaughn, here’s a list of everyone the soap star has had a romantic relationship with over the years.
Steve Martin
1994-1997
Heche and Steve Martin were in a relationship from 1994 to 1997. Their relationship was often criticized because Martin was 24 years older than the actress.
They dated for two years before breaking up. After their split, Heche shared why she was dating Martin and why they eventually called things off.
“I wanted comfort. I wanted humor. I wanted all the things he offered. Why did we break up? There was nothing wrong with Steve. It was just that it wasn’t what I wanted to devote my life to,” she reportedly said in an interview.
Ellen DeGeneres
1997-2000
Heche and Ellen DeGeneres made their relationship public in 1997, shortly after her split from Martin.
She was cast in the movie “Six Days, Seven Nights” opposite Harrison Ford just one day before their relationship made headlines.
Heche spoke about how coming out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community would impact her career, as she believed she was blacklisted by Hollywood.
“I haven’t taken a studio photo for 10 years,” the “Save Me” star told Vidak For Congress in October 2021. “I was fired on a $10 million photo deal and didn’t see the light of day in a studio photo.”
But looking back, Heche was proud that she had to overcome criticism to take a stand against social norms.
“The consequences that have happened have caused some of the change for me,” she told us. “I’m part of it. It’s a badge of honor.”
Despite the positive result, Heche and DeGeneres broke up for good in August 2000.
“It’s a friendly farewell and we really appreciate the 3 1/2 years we’ve spent together,” she said in a joint statement at the time.
Coleman “Coley” Laffon
2001-2009
Amid her many relationships, Heche was married only once: to Coleman “Coley” Laffoon.
She and the cameraman tied the knot in 2001 after meeting while working on a documentary about DeGeneres and her career, according to Closer Weekly.
The following year, they welcomed their first child, a son named Homer, in March 2002.
Their marriage hit rock bottom when Heche met James Tupper while starring in an ABC series together in 2006 and in 2009 she and Laffoon finalized their divorce.
Laffoon became a real estate agent and married his current wife Alexi, with whom he shares three children.
James Tupper
2008-2018
Heche began her next long-term relationship with Canadian actor James Tupper in 2007.
The duo met when they both starred in the ABC series “Men in Trees” in 2006, when she was still married to Laffoon.
She quickly ended business with her husband and moved in with Tupper in 2007. But they only confirmed their relationship in December 2008, when they announced that they were expecting a child together.
She and Tupper welcomed their son Atlas in 2009.
During their 10-year relationship, Heche shared why she was in no rush to tie the knot with Tupper, who was married to Kate Mayfield until 2006, and told The Telegraph in 2011 that she’s “engaged forever.”
‘I already said yes. When I’m 60, I’ll be happy to walk down the aisle,” she said, adding that every year they didn’t get married, he bought her a new ring. She added: “I’ve been married before and so has he. I don’t know what one of us would win or what would change that would benefit us.”
The couple broke up in 2018, Us Weekly reported.
Liz Brixius
2018-2019
Heche and Liz Brixius, the co-creator of “Nurse Jackie,” had a brief romance in 2018.
“Anne and Liz were friends before and now it’s a little deeper,” a source told Life & Style Magazine at the time. “Anne doesn’t like labeling relationships. But whatever they call it, Anne and Liz make a great couple.”
But by 2019 it was hissing for the couple.
Thomas Jane
2019-2021
Vidak For Congress broke the news that Heche was dating her “Hung” co-star Thomas Jane in April 2019.
The business between Heche and Jane, who was married to Patricia Arquette for five years, did not last long and in 2020 the case was called off.
After the actress had to fight for her life after the fatal crash in 2022, Jane revealed that he still loved her despite their relationship not working.
“Although Anne and I are no longer an item, today’s tragic news was devastating to me and to all who love her,” he told the Daily Mail at the time. “My heart goes out to Anne and her two sons. As of now, Anne is stable and is expected to continue. My thoughts and prayers are with Anne, one of the true talents of her generation. Thank God no one else was injured.”
Rumor novels
Amid her marriage, long-term relationships, and affairs, it is also rumored that she dated “Volcano” producer Neal H. Moritz for a year in 1996.
It was also rumored that she was dating Vince Vaughn, who was her on-screen love interest in the 1998 film “Return to Paradise.”
Fleetwood Mack’s Lindsey Buckingham also shared in an interview that he dated Heche for a year, and even wrote his song “Down on Rodeo” about their romance.