Anne Heche shot to fame in the early nineties when she was revealed as Ellen DeGeneres ‘ first girlfriend.
The couple had met at a Vanity Fair party, shortly before Ellen came out as gay.
They hit headlines across the world as the comedian’s sexuality was big news back then, and made their first appearance together when actress and director Anne took Ellen along to the premiere for her new film, Volcano, shortly after her coming out episode.
That decision, Anne claims, would prove detrimental to her Hollywood career.
Actress and director Anne is poised to take the stage on America’s version of Strictly Come Dancing this week, and has opened up on the relationship that saw her shoot to fame and destroyed her career.
(Image: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Following their first public outing together as a same-sex couple, Anne told the podcast, Irish Goodbye, that she would be “fired” from the film she had just signed up to make.
She was due to star alongside Harrison Ford in Six Days, Seven Nights, but was sacked from the movie.
Anne told the podcast: “I took Ellen, we were told that my contract for Fox would be extinguished and I would be fired. And that the movie that I had just met Harrison Ford on wouldn’t hire me. And we went to the premiere – these are the stories that I know people don’t know.
“We went to the premiere, we were tapped on the shoulder, put into her limo in the third act and told that we couldn’t have pictures of us taken at the press junket – and both she and I were fired that week.”
(Image: Archive Photos)
Luckily Anne had an ally in Harrison Ford, who pushed for her to keep her co-staring role.
Anne claimed he called her and said: “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a f*** who you’re f***ing, we have a movie to make. Let’s make it the best one ever.”
The film unfortunately failed to become a box office success, and Anne has admitted this is when the demise of her career began.
She split with Ellen after three years together but paid the price for the high-profile relationship, with her not making another film for the next decade after Six Days, Seven Nights.
(Image: Getty Images)
Things picked up later on in her life when she bagged roles in some independent films and TV series, winning both Emmy and Tony Awards.
She more recently starred in the lead role in the gritty TV series, The Brave, as Patricia Campbell, and is now on screens in Chicago PD.
Despite Anne’s claims her career suffered as a result of her relationship with Ellen and the fact she had come out as gay, the actress has nothing but praise for the comedian.
She said: “When I met Ellen she was beaming light. There was nothing that could have shone brighter than who she was in the centre of that room. I’ll never forget.
“Our time was a beautiful part of my life and one that I wear with honour. I was a part of a revolution that created social change, and I could not have done that without falling in love with her.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
