Anne Heche was “personable and polite” just an hour before her fatal cocaine car crash – here's what happened in the run-up.
The actress, an ex of Ellen Degeneres, has died aged 53 a week after the tragic smash which left her brain dead. She remains on life support in order to donate her organs but has been declared legally dead under California law.
Just days before the crash, where she ploughed her Mini Cooper into a two-storey home in LA, she was drinking while shooting a podcast.
On Tuesday August 2 she drank vodka and sipped wine chasers while recording a since-deleted episode of Better Together.
The programme sparked rumours that it was captured on the day of the crash, but a show producer later debunked that theory.
In the episode, sponsored by booze brand Refined, Anne drank with co-host Heather Duffy as she admitted she was having a “very bad day”.
“I don't know what happened, sometimes days just suck,” she says. “I don't know if you ever have them, but you know some days, Mama says just gonna be like this.
“Some days there's those no good, very bad days. And I don't know why some days just end up like this, and things don't really rock me like that.”
On Friday (August 5) at around 10am, the day of the tragic crash, unassuming Anne was spotted buying a red wig at a salon in Venice, California.
Glass Hair Design owner Richard Glass said she was “very polite” and there was nothing to suggest that she was feeling troubled.
“She wasn’t speaking in cursive, I say that when people are impaired,” he told old Entertainment Tonight. “They speak in cursive like slurring your words. But she wasn’t.”
“She was very, very cordial. Very personable and very polite.
“The whole encounter was maybe 10 minutes, it wasn’t huge, but it was strange all the same and random. It was an amazing, kind interaction.”
He shared the chance meeting on Instagram, proudly posing next to smiling Anne.
It was just 30 minutes later, at around 10.30am that day, that Anne was spotted speeding through Mar Vista in her Mini Cooper.
She had just left the wig salon before crashing into a garage at a nearby apartment block.
Ring Doorbell footage seemingly shows Anne’s blue car speeding at around 90mph past homes before the first smash.
Residents allegedly tried to get Anne out of the car before she refused, slamming the car into reverse before speeding off.
According to TMZ, as she was pulling away, she narrowly missed striking a pedestrian before crashing, again, into a Jaguar car.
The driver was ok and Anne, once again, sped off into the distance, according to the outlet.
Thirty minutes later, at around 11am, Anne ploughed into the two-storey home before her car burst into flames – leaving her in a critical condition.
The homeowner was unharmed, but the collision caused that much damage that firefighters said the home had become inhabitable.
Neighbours told MailOnline they were “positive” Anne was dead inside the car and that she had “burned up”.
According to residents, it took LA firefighters “at least” half an hour to put out the deadly blaze and pull Anne from the burnt wreckage.
She was rushed to Grossman Burn Centre at West Hills Hospital where she spent her final week and on Friday, August 12 was pronounced brain dead.
Her family say they kept Anne on life support in a bid to see if any of her organs could be donated.
Anne's close friend Nancy Davis broke the news that her beloved pal had “gone to heaven”.
“Heaven has a new Angel. My loving , kind , fun , endearing and beautiful friend Anne Heche went to heaven,” she penned in a touching tribute.
“I will miss her terribly and cherish all the beautiful memories we have shared .
“Anne was always the kindest, most thoughtful person who always brought out the best in me. My heart is broken.”
A representative for Anne’s family told TMZ: "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 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.“
