Anne Heche Had ‘Narcotics’ in Her System at Time of Fiery Crash, LAPD Says

-- Anne Heche attends 'The Best Of Enemies' New York Premiere at AMC Loews Lincoln Square on April 04, 2019 in New York City. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Blood tests conducted on actress Anne Heche showed the presence of “narcotics” in her system last week when the car she was driving crashed into a house, Los Angeles police said Thursday.

The blood was drawn from Heche after she was admitted to a hospital. The tests did not find she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, but they did detect unspecified drugs, Officer Annie Hernandez of the LAPD’s media relations division told the Los Angeles Times.

More testing is needed to rule out substances that may have been given to the actress at the hospital, Hernandez said, adding that a felony DUI investigation is currently underway.

Related StoryAnne Heche ‘Lucky to Be Alive’ After Fiery Car Crash in Los Angeles

Heche is in a coma in critical condition, with “significant” injuries and burns, as previously reported. No one else was injured in the crash.

On Thursday, law enforcement sources told TMZ there was cocaine in Heche’s system at the time of the accident and possibly fentanyl. Since fentanyl is used as a pain medication in hospitals, the ongoing investigation will determine if the drug was given to the actress by medical professionals. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid about 50-100 times stronger than morphine, according to the DEA.

Heche’s car slammed into a home in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles on Friday, Aug. 5, causing the structure to erupt in flames. Ring surveillance video obtained by local news stations showed the actress’ blue Mini Copper speeding down a residential street before plowing into the house.

The 53-year-old star has a role in HBO’s upcoming drama series The Idol, starring The Weeknd.

She also leads the cast of the upcoming Lifetime movie Girl in Room 13, a drama inspired by real events about the human trafficking industry.

Girl in Room 13 stars (L-R) Anne Heche, Larissa Dias and Elisabeth Rohm (Credit: Lifetime)
Girl in Room 13 stars (L-R) Anne Heche, Larissa Dias and Elisabeth Rohm (Credit: Lifetime)

Lifetime issued a statement on Thursday at the Television Critics Association virtual summer press tour, saying the movie is still scheduled to air in September.

“As many of you know, Anne remains in critical condition and all of us here at Lifetime are deeply concerned for her and everyone affected,” said Amy Winter, executive vice president and head of programming at Lifetime.

“We hope that her friends and family stay strong during this difficult time. You know, just as much as we do, that we ask that you kindly refrain from inquiring about her health status,” Winter added. “This project is important to Anne, along with each and every one of us. We all sought to make a film that would bring attention to this appalling issue of human sex trafficking. We hope that this film reached you and that you are just as inspired as Anne was to help us with our mission to stop violence against women. Thank you for your support and your questions about the film.”


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About Anita Bennett

Anita Bennett is the editor and founder of Urban Hollywood 411. She can be reached on Twitter @tvanita.