Anne Heche is opening up about her romance with Ellen DeGeneres and how it cost her a major motion picture deal and led to 10 years of no movie acting work. The actress shared details about her relationship with the talk show host, and Hollywood's backlash, on Monday night’s "Dancing With the Stars."
"I was in a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres for 3½ years and the stigma attached to that relationship was so bad that I was fired from my multimillion-dollar picture deal and I did not work in a studio picture for 10 years," Heche said in a video released on the reality competition, according to USA Today
Trouble began shortly before the premiere of the 1997 Fox film "Volcano." Heche informed studio execs that she would be bringing DeGeneres as her date but was threatened to be removed from the film if she did so.
"When I told them I was taking Ellen as my date, I was told if I took Ellen I would lose my Fox contract," Heche claimed. DeGeneres urged her to "do what they say" but Heche was not prepared to back down.
At the premiere, Heche said she and DeGeneres were "ushered out by security before the movie even ended, and I was told I was not allowed to go to the afterparty for fear they would get picture of me with a woman."
Heche said it was "unbelievable" how they were treated.
"She was warning me this is going to happen," she added of DeGeneres.
Judge Bruno Tonioli was moved by Heche's story.
"I really admire you for what you did. Very few people have the courage," he said.
Heche was eliminated from Monday night's episode of "DWTS" after eearning a 21/30 from judges.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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