American actress Anne Heche was pronounced dead after being seriously injured in a car crash in Los Angeles on August 5, her spokeswoman said. The 53-year-old actress had since been in a coma in hospital with a serious brain injury.
Having lost all her brain functions, Anne Heche “is legally deceased according to California law”, but her heart is still beating in order to facilitate organ donation, her spokesperson said on Friday.
“Today we lose a radiant light, such a gentle and joyful soul, a loving mother and a loyal friend,” the family said in a joint statement. “Anne will be deeply missed, but her wonderful sons, her immense work and her passionate fights will survive her,” she adds.
Discovered by “Six Day, Seven Nights”
Anne Heche acted in a large number of films in the 1990s, including Six days, seven nights or Donnie Brasco. She is also known for her role in the soap opera Another Worldwhich won him a Daytime Emmy Award in 1991.
In the 1990s, she had a high-profile relationship with presenter Ellen DeGeneres.
In 1998, our review of “Six Days Seven Nights”: Harrison Ford and Anne Heche castaways for worse and for fun
A fire accident
The actress has been in a coma since her car crashed into a two-story house in the Mar Vista neighborhood, “causing structural damage as well as a heavy fire,” according to Los Angeles Fire Department.
Los Angeles police said in a statement Thursday that they would conduct blood tests on Anne Heche and that investigators would “bring the matter to the proper legal authority.” The police, however, did not give any details on possible legal consequences.
Positive tests for narcotics
Local media reported on Thursday that preliminary tests had come back positive for narcotics. But other tests must be conducted to ensure that the positive result is not related to medical treatment.
According to celebrity coverage publication TMZ, which cites unnamed law enforcement sources, Anne Heche tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl, an ultra-potent and addictive synthetic opiate used in some treatments.