Anne Heche Dead: Podcast Co-Host Heather Duffy Breaks Silence With Emotional Tribute to Late Actress

Friends and family are still coming to terms with the tragic death of Anne Heche. Heche’s death was ruled an accident, with additional implications that she suffered “sternal fracture due to blunt trauma” from the car crash. The LA Police Department declared, “there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case.” She was initially being investigated for driving under the influence. The actress was 53 years old and leaves behind two children. Several projects were in the works at the time of her death. Now, her podcast co-host Heather Duffy is breaking her silence on the matter. Heche and Duffy co-hosted the Better Together podcast.

“I had to take a moment to begin to process the profound loss of my beautiful friend with the kindest soul I’ve known,” Duffy began in an Instagram tribute. “Anne was joyful despite all the challenges that she faced in her life. She was truthful despite being in a business that is make-believe. Spreading love and kindness in the world is what mattered most to her, even if, at times, the world did not give it back,” Duffy continued. “So many do not know the bravery and the sacrifice it took for Anne to stand up for the right to love who you wanted back in the late 90s. Her public stand for equality empowered many LGBTQ+ people worldwide to see a future where they could live in their truth, which mattered to her more than anything.”

She continued, noting Heche’s contributions to the entertainment industry and culture, and the media’s criticism of her. “We have come a long way because of her truth, bravery, and kindness in that moment 25 years ago when she chose to bring a woman as her date to the premiere of Volcano,” Duffy added. “I wish the media would have circled back at some point while she was with us to recognize how harshly they judged her in those moments when she took a stand for equality.”

Duffy continued, adding that Heche was a woman ahead of her time. “[She] was way ahead of us, and we are all just catching up. Fly free, my friend,” she concluded. “This world was never meant for one as beautiful as you.”