In the wake of Anne Heche's tragic death, many people are looking back at her trailblazing relationship with Ellen Degeneres.
The Donnie Brasco star dated chat show host Degeneres from 1997 to 2000, making them one of the first openly gay couples in Hollywood.
Heche and Degeneres' romance was relatively short-lived - actor Heche married cameraman Coleman Lafoon in 2001, while Degeneres started going out with her current wife Portia de Rossi in 2004. However, for many people who grew up in the 1990s, the impact of their openly queer relationship cannot be overstated.
After it was confirmed that Heche had passed away last week, many fans have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to the actor and all that she did for LGBTQ representation.
"Kids today don't know what it was like, but I vividly recall when Anne Heche and Ellen Degeneres came out about their relationship back in 1997. I was in awe, and remember thinking, 'This could really change things for people.' Thank you for so bravely taking that step, Anne," one person wrote.
Another shared their personal experience of being inspired by Heche, tweeting: "When I decided to come out at 16 in 1998 I cannot overstate how much Ellen and Anne’s public relationship pushed me in my decision. While I saw the media backlash I also saw their strength."
Others drew attention to examples of how the Volcano star resisted studio pressure to hide her relationship with Degeneres.
Anne Heche said bosses told her not to take then girlfriend Ellen DeGeneres to Volcano premiere in 1997.
"I was told if I took Ellen, I would lose my Fox contract," Heche told Page Six. "At that moment, she took my hand and said, 'Do what they say,' and I said, 'No thanks.'"
"I don’t think people understand how much Anne sacrificed to be visibly queer. She went from starring in blockbuster films with the likes of Tommy Lee Jones and Harrison Ford to being blacklisted over her relationship with Ellen Degeneres," another argued.
Earlier today, it was confirmed that Heche had been taken off life support. The 53-year-old was involved in a catastrophic car crash on August 5 which left her fighting to survive in a hospital. Last Friday (August 12) representatives confirmed she was legally dead but being kept on life support so that her final wish to be an organ donor could be fulfilled.
