Anne Heche gave Portia de Rossi a word of warning about dating Ellen DeGeneres

According to Page Six, Anne Heche tried to warn Portia de Rossi off dating her ex-girlfriend Ellen Degeneres, as revealed in a recovered piece of her podcast. During the June 2021 episode of Straw Hut Media's Better Together, Heche told listeners that de Rossi was interested in DeGeneres in 2001 and asked Heche about the famous talk show host. She said: 'Portia even asked me about Ellen' and told her 'I'm gonna go after Ellen.'

Heche mentioned DeGeneres' red flags

Midway through the episode, the Six Days Seven Nights actress said she told de Rossi that dating DeGeneres would not boost her fame, referring to herself as the 'poster child' in their former relationship when same-sex relationships were few and far between.

'You won't be the poster child, girl, because guess what, that poster child has already been taken and by the way, it wasn't a great spot.'

Heche also recalled telling the Ally McBeal star about DeGeneres' personality and dating her would be a 'red flag'. She said:

'But, yours ain't gonna be any easier. And I'm telling you now, like, red flag, red flag, red flag!'

Elsewhere in the talk, the Donnie Brasco alum blasted DeGeneres, accusing the host of 'always driving around in stupid Porches.' The late actress sarcastically referred to de Rossi as one of the 'Porches' in DeGeneres' collection:

'I realized that Ellen drove a Porsche… and then she married one. All she used to do was drive Porsches and she collected them and I just thought it was so stupid because they were so loud.'

Despite her down-to-earth warning, Heche failed to prevent de Rossi from coupling up with her ex. De Rossi and DeGeneres walked down the aisle in 2008 in a low-key ceremony and just celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary earlier this week.

Before Portia de Rossi, Ellen DeGeneres was famous for dating Anne Heche from 1997 to 2000 - one of the most groundbreaking high-profile relationships at the time when lesbian loves were a rare occasion in Hollywood. After her same-sex courtship with the talk show host ended in 2000, Heche went on to have two marriages and gave birth to two sons.

Despite the former couple later stating the split was amicable, Heche had, on multiple occasions, opened up about the negative impact ensuing from her relationship with DeGeneres. In an interview with Page Six, the actress elaborated on how her rising career was derailed in the wake of her romance with the comedian:

'I was fired from a $10 million picture deal and did not see the light of day in a studio picture.'

Ellen Degeneres paid tribute to Heche

Anne Heche passed away at age 53 last Friday after suffering from a string of complications and burn injuries. On August 5, the late actress plowed her blue Mini Copper into a residence following a high-speed bender and engulfed herself in flames.

A week after the horrific car crash, Heche was announced 'brain dead' but remained on life support until her organs could be donated. The actress was declared legally dead on August 12, a result of 'severe anoxic brain injury' and 'sternal fracture due to blunt trauma'.

Following her tragic death, DeGeneres issued a statement on her social media, saying 'it was a sad day'.

'This is a sad day. I’m sending Anne’s children, family and friends all of my love.'

Ryan Tillotson, the producer of Heche's podcast Better Together, mourned the actress' passing:

'More than a beloved host, Anne was my friend, collaborator, and a damn good actress. Anne added life to every room she entered with her tremendous energy and welcoming presence.'

Born in 1969, Anne Heche rose to fame with various hits in the 90s and early 2000s, including Donnie Brasco, Volcano, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Six Days, Seven Nights, and Return to Paradise.