NEWSRosie O'Donnell Reacts To Anne Heche's 'Horrifying' Crash After Trolling Her For 'Relationship With Space Aliens'
Aug. 10 2022, Published 4:47 p.m. ET
As news of Anne Heche’s fiery car crash that left her in critical condition continues to dominate headlines, her I'll Do Anything costar Rosie O’Donnell is expressing remorse for past quips about the actress.
On Sunday, August 7, the Nip/Tuck alum, 60, opened up about her regrets surrounding the way she previously poked fun at Heche, 53. In 2001, the star revealed she developed a second personality and “fantasy world” as a child due after being sexually abused by her father as a child.
“I can’t stop thinking about this Anne Heche accident and how horrifying the whole thing is and feeling bad that I made fun of her when she was talking to Barbara Walters about having a relationship with space aliens,” O’Donnell explained in a clip posted to TikTok.
The star then turned the conversation toward drunk driving. Although it is unclear whether Heche was intoxicated at the time of the incident, authorities reportedly obtained a warrant to test the Six Days Seven Nights star’s blood shortly after she crashed her car into a Los Angeles home on Friday, August 5. The results of the test are still pending, though Heche is currently under investigation for a possible DUI and hit and run, per CNN.
“If we have an honest discussion about drunk driving, we find out just how prevalent it is and that’s terrifying, isn’t it?” O’Donnell speculated noting that “it’s a miracle that she didn’t kill anyone.”
“I hope she survives. But wow, what a tragic tale,” the talk show host said. “That car was on fire for a long time, they say.”
The star concluded her discussion of Heche with a plea to those struggling with substance abuse issues.
“Listen, Alcoholics Anonymous works. It does. I’ve seen miracles happen,” O’Donnell shared. “If you’re out there and you’re struggling and you’re thinking ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’ try it before it’s too late. Try it, when you’re already at your lowest.”
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Although Heche’s current relationship with alcohol is unclear, the star once said she turned to substances to help her cope with her abuse.
"I drank. I smoked. I did drugs. I had sex with people. I did anything I could to get the shame out of my life,” the star .
Earlier in the same interview, the Heche also detailed how she also used a “fantasy world” to escape from the pain.
“I’m not crazy. But it’s a crazy life,” recalled Heche, who was 32 at the time. “I was raised in a crazy family and it took 31 years to get the crazy out of me."
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“I had a fantasy world that I escaped to. I called my other personality Celestia,” the Donnie Brasco star said. “I believed I was from that world. I believed I was from another planet. I think I was insane.”
The following year, O’Donnell described the interview as being a “train wreck” while appearing at New York City charity benefit. “She couldn’t just say, ‘I was a lesbian for two years, it didn’t work out for me?’” she continued, appearing to reference Heche’s past romance with comic Ellen DeGeneres.
