Los Angeles Times

Heche’s ‘insolvent’ estate can’t pay debts, son says

But report states it is looking to negotiate with creditor claims and avoid litigation.

- By Alexandra Del Rosario

Anne Heche’s estate cannot currently settle its debts, her son claimed in new court documents.

Homer Laffoon, the late actor’s 22-year-old son and the executor of the estate, said in legal documents obtained by The Times that his mother’s estate is “not in a condition to be closed.” The report, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, details the makeup of Heche’s estate and several creditor claims, including those stemming from the August 2022 car crash that killed the actor and set fire to a Mar Vista home.

“Based on the anticipate­d value of the combined inventorie­s and appraisals, and the filed predator claims, the estate is insolvent,” Laffoon, the son of Heche and ex-husband Coley Laffoon, said.

According to the report, Heche’s estate consists of “a modest bank account,” royalties from projects that preceded her death, “a corporatio­n in which [Heche] was the sole shareholde­r (used for projects in developmen­t and business functions related to Decedent’s career in the entertainm­ent industry),” “an LLC membership interest related to a podcast [Heche] helped create” and personal property. The actor’s assets totaled to approximat­ely $110,000, according to legal documents.

The report also said that sales for Heche’s posthumous memoir, “Call Me Anne” “are not strong” and the book is projected to make less than $25,000.

Heche, who was an Emmy- and Tony-nominated actor, succumbed to her car crash injuries on Aug. 11, 2022. She was 53. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner determined that she died from smoke “inhalation and thermal injuries.”

In November 2023, a Los Angeles woman living in the Mar Vista home destroyed by Heche sued the actor’s estate. Lynne Mishele is one of three people who filed $2 million claims against the actor’s estate. Legal documents show that Jennifer and John Durand, who own the Mar Vista home, are the other two claimants.

Heche’s estate is also fielding a multi thousand dollar claim from ex boyfriend Thomas Jane, among others.

Laffoon’s report says he is working with Heche's exboyfrien­d James Tupper to sell some of his mother’s property before the “the remaining items being liquidated by the estate sale company.” The report added that he is also looking to negotiate “appropriat­e settlement­s” with the claims against his mother’s estate.

“[Laffoon] is cautiously optimistic that the creditor claims can all be resolved fairly and without litigation,” court documents said.

A legal representa­tive for Laffoon did not immediatel­y respond to The Times’ request for comment.

 ?? Michael Bezjian Getty Images/Mammoth Media Institute ?? ANNE HECHE, pictured in 2020, died in a car crash in 2022 that set fire to a house in Mar Vista.
Michael Bezjian Getty Images/Mammoth Media Institute ANNE HECHE, pictured in 2020, died in a car crash in 2022 that set fire to a house in Mar Vista.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States