Anne Heche Opens Up About Ellen DeGeneres Relationship Like Never Before In Posthumous Memoir

Anne Heche died tragically on August 12, after succumbing to injuries sustained in a fiery car crash just days before. In a video obtained by TMZ, "The Last Word" actor was seen speeding down the road in a residential neighborhood before crashing her vehicle into the side of a home. The Emmy-nominated entertainer's death was announced a week later.

"We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body," a representative for the actor said in a statement, per TMZ.

Following Heche's passing, her exes James Tupper and Thomas Jane shared tributes honoring the late actor. Heche's most famous ex, Ellen DeGeneres, also wished the star well during her hospitalization. Heche has previously opened up about her relationship with DeGeneres – which lasted from 1997 to 2000 — and now the actor is set to make even bigger claims in her upcoming posthumous memoir.

Anne Heche's posthumous memoir will provide an even deeper look into the actor's relationship with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, which Heche claims was her first same-sex venture. In an excerpt obtained by The Hollywood Reporter, Heche recalls the hardships she faced while dating the comedian. "I was labeled 'outrageous' because I fell in love with a woman. I had never been with a woman before I dated Ellen," Heche wrote. "I did not, personally, identify as a lesbian. I simply fell in love! It was, to be clear, as odd to me as anyone else. There were no words to describe how I felt." The "Men In Trees" actor continued to explain that she did not feel comfortable labeling herself as "gay," but admitted that considering herself heterosexual didn't feel right either. "Alien might be the best fit, I sometimes thought," she wrote.

Heche's assertions in her memoir — which is set to be released in January 2023 — is not the first time the entertainer has spoken out about her then-taboo relationship. In a 2021 interview with Page Six, Heche claimed that her career was stifled following their union. "I didn't do a studio picture for 10 years," she told the publication. "I was fired from a $10 million picture deal and did not see the light of day in a studio picture."