Anne Heche doesn’t often speak about her romance with Ellen Degeneres that dominated the headlines in the late ’90s and early ’00s, but in a recent interview with Page Six, the 52-year-old is opening up about the partnership that she says got her “blacklisted” from Hollywood.
Heche describes the relationship, which lasted from 1997 to 2000, as “a moment in my life when I was given the glory of being able to stand up for what I believe in.”
Unfortunately, it came with a cost. Because being in a same-sex relationship in Hollywood at that time ended up sidelining her career, which had been on the up-and-up before she brought Degeneres as her date to the 1997 premiere of Volcano.
“I didn’t do a studio picture for 10 years,” she says. “I was fired from a $10 million picture deal and did not see the light of day in a studio picture.”
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Heche is probably right that her relationship with Degeneres did harm to her career. Of course, so did that string of high profile interviews she did during which she talked about living in a fantasy world called the “Fourth Dimension” and having an alter ego named Celestia, who was Jesus’ half-sister and who had contacts with extraterrestrial life forms. But we digress.
One of the major studio films Heche almost lost out on was Six Days, Seven Nights starring Harrison Ford. After her relationship with Degeneres became publicly known, she says the studio questioned whether she should star anymore.
As a result, Heche almost backed out. Until Ford called her up and talked her out of quitting.
“That is why Harrison Ford is my hero,” Heche recalls. “To stand behind me at such a time when the force of what I was standing up for could have been toppled.”
Despite all the negative things that came with being in a same-sex relationship in Hollywood in the late ’90s and early ’00s, Heche believes it wasn’t all in vain.
“Those repercussions that happened, are, to me, what has created a part of the change,” she says. “I’m a part of it. It is a badge of honor.”
Up next, Heche will star in the disaster film “13 Minutes,” which she says “tackles social issues in a disaster movie.” It will be released in theaters October 29 and on demand November 19.
Donston
The few times she’s talked about that relationship, she’s talked about it as if it was strictly about politics and sociology rather than genuinely wanting to be with Ellen. It seems as if she could have been with any high-profile lesbian. While her obvious mental breakdown definitely contributed to her reputation and career as much as her same-sex relationship did. But I’ve always kinda liked Anne for some reason.
Dijonaise
I always thought she was looked down upon because she suddenly decided she was straight, and she was just with Ellen because she’s a social climbing whore.
GentlemanCaller
Honestly, Queerty, no one cares what this vicious, attention-seeking nutcase has to say about anything. Don’t give her oxygen.
bsg1967
Wasn’t the Heather Graham character in bow finger based on her? Always seemed suspect
sfhairy
Of course it wasn’t about her acting or lack of acting ability.
winemaker
Enough updates on ellen degenerate already. Last time i heard she was moving to Australia, good riddance. Guess she had a change of mind after all. For her not to be responsible for any American taxes, she’d need to divest herself of all her American properties and this is something this hypocrite isn’t likely about to do. Most of us are busy and have fulfilling lives and are tired of her ongoing drama and don’t really give a rats ass. Please no more updates. Her thing, i ‘m gay, so what, like we’re supposed to be impressed and put her on a pedestal.. Newsflash, most of us are busy and have lives and the ‘gay thing’ can only take you so far’
Donston
I mean, this is pretty much a gossip site. And Ellen is one of the most well known people on the planet. So, expecting no more articles about her is kinda ridiculous. Also, this article is more about Anne than Ellen.
okiloki
She was great in Six Days and Seven Nights.
inbama
She’s apparently not politically correct enough for some people here, but there’s no denying she is a terrific actress.
THAT Steve
I loved her on another world. When she played twin characters she managed to make it almost like two different actors were playing them with her acting choices.
cuteguy
If a lesbian was blacklisted in the 90s, imagine a out gay male actor?! Thank goodness the toxic 90s are over
Jim
Yeah, her bat shit crazy behavior was the reason for her lack of work, well and the fact she just isn’t that good of an actress. But hey let’s get a little attention by saying it’s because you were in a same sex relationship.
Hank31
Heche has been held up by the Christian Right as an example of how gay is just a lifestyle which can change at will. “See? She was a lesbian for 3 years, and t hen she decided she didn’t want to be a lesbian anymore and she married a man! It’s a choice!”
If she had any ethics, she would have clarified publicly back in 2000 that she is bisexual and that her sexual orientation is not a choice and did not change. But to my knowledge, other than a few short, ambiguous sentences, she has never made any of this clear to the public in over 20 years. Maybe it is better for her career to be thought of as heterosexual rather than bisexual.