Anne Heche will be taken off life support Sunday afternoon, a representative for the actor said. Organ recipients were identified and surgeons are prepared for the procedures once Heche is removed from life support, the spokesperson told NBC News. Heche was declared brain-dead on Friday, a week after she crashed her car into a home in Los Angeles. She was kept on life support for her organs to be donated, although it is unknown which organs will be transplanted.
“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” Heche’s family said in a statement to CNN Thursday night. “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.”
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After Heche was declared legally dead, her spokesperson said the Six Days, Seven Nights star wanted her organs donated. “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,” her spokesperson said.
Heche was involved in a fiery car crash on Aug. 5 in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles. She first crashed the car into an apartment complex’s garage before crashing into a home, which caused a house fire. On Aug. 8, her representative said she was in a coma and lost consciousness a short time after the crash. Before Heche’s death, police said drugs were found in her system. However, police are no longer investigating the case.
Heche is survived by her two sons, Homer and Atlas Laffoon. Their father is camera operator Coleman “Coley” Laffoon. In his own statement, Homer said he is “left with a deep, wordless sadness.”
“Hopefully my mom is free from painย and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom,” Homer said. “Over those six days, thousands of friends, family, and fans made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my stepmom Alexi, who continue to be my rock during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you.”
Heche began her careerย on the soap opera Another World, earning a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991. She rose to stardom in the late 1990s, starring in Donnie Brasco, Volcano, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Wag the Dog, and Six Days, Seven Nights. She also continued working on television, recently starring in Seasons 6 and 7 of Chicago P.D. and competing on Dancing With the Stars. She also had a recurring part on CBS’ All Rise. She will be seen in the upcoming Lifetime original movie Girl in Room 13. Heche was 53.
