Anne Heche's net worth at death: how much did the Hollywood star leave behind?
Anne Heche's net worth at the time of her death in August 2022 was estimated to be $400,000, a significant decline from her fortune of over $4 million at the height of her Hollywood career. She began acting in the late 1980s and went on to appear in over 120 films and TV shows.
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Key takeaways
- Anne Heche was only worth $400,000 when she died, according to court documents, despite appearing in high-profile films alongside notable Hollywood stars.
- The Return to Paradise actress died without a will, and her eldest son, Homer Heche Laffoon, was appointed the estate administrator.
- Anne Heche's estate faces claims and debts of over $6 million, including millions in damages related to the fatal car crash.
Anne Heche's profile summary
Full name | Anne Celeste Heche |
Date of birth | May 25, 1969 |
Place of birth | Aurora, Ohio, United States |
Date of death | August 11, 2022 |
Place of death | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Age at death | 53 years old |
Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
Heritage | Mixed Swiss-German, Norwegian, English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh |
Height | 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m/165 cm) |
Ex-husband | Coleman 'Coley' Laffoon (2001-2009) |
Ex-partners | Ellen DeGeneres (1997-2000) James Tupper (2007-2018) |
Children | Atlas Heche Tupper, Homer Heche Laffoon |
Parents | Nancy Heche, Donald Joe Heche |
Siblings | Susan Bergman, Abigail Heche, Cynthia Heche, Nate Heche |
Profession | Actress |
Years active | 1987 to 2022 |
Anne Heche had a long Hollywood career
Heche was in the show business for over three decades. She made her acting debut in 1987 in the NBC soap opera Another World. Her profile rose significantly in the 1990s and early 2000s with appearances in films like Donnie Brasco opposite Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones, and John Q with Denzel Washington.
She also had notable television roles in shows like Men in Trees, Hung, and Gracie's Choice. Several of Anne Heche's movies were released posthumously, including What Remains (2022), Girl in Room 13 (2022), Frankie Meets Jack (2023), Supercell (2023), You're Killing Me (2023), and Wildfire (2024).
Source: Original
Why is Anne Heche's net worth so low?
Anne Heche had a low net worth of $400,000 to her name at the time of her death because of outstanding debts and claims, per court documents filed at Los Angeles County Superior Court in April 2024.
Claims against her estate exceed $6 million, including $2 million filed by the renter and another $2 million by the owners of the home destroyed by her car crash. She also owed a loan of over $150,000 to her ex-boyfriend, Thomas Jane and $36,000 to Citibank.
Anne's total assets and accounts amounted to approximately $110,000, including a modest bank account, royalty payments & residual income from her pre-death projects, as well as a corporation and an LLC membership interest related to a podcast.
The estate has tried to raise money through sales of her memoir, Call Me Anne, which was released posthumously in 2023. As of April 2024, the estate was planning to liquidate the remaining tangible items through an estate sale company. In an updated court filing in March 2025, the estate was still not in a condition to be closed.
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Anne Heche's son is managing her estate
Heche's eldest son, Homer Heche Laffoon, petitioned to be appointed the estate administrator after she died without a will. James Tupper, Anne's former partner, also sought to be named executor, claiming she had emailed him in 2011, designating him for the role and requesting that he care for her two sons.
James also argued that then-20-year-old Homer was too young and unqualified. A Los Angeles judge officially named Homer the permanent special administrator in November 2022. He has since been actively working to settle the estate's financial obligations.
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What caused Anne Heche to crash her car?
The Volcano actress was involved in a high-speed, single-car crash on August 5, 2022, when her Mini Cooper hit a residential home, igniting a fire. The incident took place in the Mar Vista neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California.
She was rushed to an LA hospital but never regained consciousness. The final autopsy and toxicology report found that there was no evidence of impairment by illicit substances at the time of the crash.
The LA County coroner ruled Anne Heche's cause of death to be inhalation and thermal injuries and a sternal fracture due to blunt trauma. The manner of death was an accident.
The actress was declared legally dead on August 11, 2022, and was taken off life support on August 14 after her family found matching recipients for her organs. It was Heche's long-time wish to be an organ donor.
Source: Getty Images
Why did Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche split?
Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres dated for about three and a half years from early 1997 to August 2000. Their relationship made headlines as they were one of Hollywood's first openly gay female couples. They were famously dubbed the "first gay supercouple."
The pair initially said the split was amicable, but later gave different accounts of why they split. DeGeneres claimed in her 2001 Los Angeles Times interview that the split came as a surprise and "I feel betrayed."
After their breakup, Heche tied the knot with Coley Laffoon in 2001, and they had a son, Homer, in 2002 before finalising their divorce in 2009. She later had a long-term relationship with actor James Tupper, with whom she welcomed their son, Atlas, in 2009. They broke up in 2018.
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Conclusion
Anne Heche's net worth and the subsequent obligations on her estate have continued to make headlines for over three years since her unfortunate passing. She left a complex legacy in Hollywood, where she was known for her great on-screen performances.
READ MORE: Djimon Hounsou's net worth: why is an Oscar-nominated actor still struggling financially?
Briefly.co.za highlighted how much Djimon Hounsou has accumulated from his Hollywood career spanning over three decades. The Benin-born actor has appeared in blockbuster films like Gladiator, Shazam!, Black Adam, and Blood Diamond.
Djimon has publicly stated that despite his two Oscar nominations and numerous film roles, he is still struggling financially and feels underpaid in the industry. The actor has also been renting out his California property.
Source: Briefly News
