Anne Heche Says Ex Ellen DeGeneres Didn't Let Her Do This When They Dated

The actor gave insight into their relationship while looking at her fashion past.

She hasn't been on TikTok long, but Anne Heche is already making a splash on the social media platform. In a video shared on April 28, the actor rated some of her past red carpet outfits, and her critique of one look in particular gave some insight into her highest-profile relationship, and raised eyebrows in the process. Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres dated from 1997 to 2000, and it turns out there was one thing the talk show host didn't like to see Heche do when they were together–or rather, wear.

Read on to see what Heche had to say about her ex. And for more on their relationship, check out '90s Celebrity Couples You May Have Forgotten About.

Heche's style can be pretty adventurous.

Anne Heche at an HBO party in 2017
Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

In Heche's TikTok video, titled "Rating My Iconic Red Carpet Looks," she goes through six of her past ensembles and rates them on a scale of 1 to 10 while sharing some commentary about each outfit. All of the looks are either pretty eccentric or revealing, except for one that shows her on a red carpet with DeGeneres.

There's a metallic sequin backless dress. There's a sheer Versace dress in which the sides of her body are exposed. There's a look from the 1998 VH1 Fashion Awards in which she wears a large red Prada hat. ("Total hit," she says of this one.) Lastly, there's the rainbow outfit she wore on Dancing With the Stars, which she gave a rainbow emoji out of 10.

And for stars who said no that show, check out 17 Celebrities Who Turned Down "Dancing With the Stars."

But DeGeneres allegedly made Heche cover up.

Ellen DeGeneres and Anne Heche at the Golden Globe Awards in 1998
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

The photo of Heche with DeGeneres (seen here) stands out, because her outfit is so different from the other ones she features. The photo shows them at the 1998 Golden Globes, with DeGeneres in a navy suit while Heche wears a velvet navy dress jacket with a long sheer jacket.

"Why do I look like a hippie?" Heche says in the video. "It's because Ellen didn't want me to dress sexy." She gave the look a thumbs down and a 0/10.

For another revealing TikTok rating, A Disney World Employee Is Rating Celebrities Based on How Rude They Are.

Heche and DeGeneres' relationship ended suddenly.

Anne Heche and Ellen DeGerenes at the Academy Awards in 1999
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

As reported by People, when Heche and DeGeneres broke up in 2000, they released a statement that read, "It is an amicable parting and we greatly value the 3 1/2 years we have spent together."

But, a year later, DeGeneres told the Los Angeles Times that the breakup came as a surprise to her. The comedian said that she had her heart broken and explained, "She walked out the door and I haven't spoken to her since, I don't have the answers. I would love to have them myself. I would ask all of the questions that everyone else wants to ask…. I'm left with everybody else wondering what happened."

The day after the breakup news came out, Heche showed up at a stranger's house in Fresno, California, and shared nonsensical information with the person who lived there. After that, Heche was then briefly hospitalized. She later said the incident stemmed from mental health issues.

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Heche knows that the visibility of her relationship with DeGeneres was important.

Anne Heche and Ellen DeGeneres at the 1997 Emmy Awards
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

While she might have something to say about how DeGeneres wanted her to dress at the time, Heche has voiced how important she feels the relationship was overall, even if it harmed her career. "I was in a relationship with Ellen DeGeneres for 3 1/2 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," she said on Dancing With the Stars in 2020 (via Today).

But, she knows that she and DeGeneres had an effect on society and the acceptance of same-sex relationships: "My story is a story that created change in the world, moved the needle for equal rights forward, when I fell in love with Ellen DeGeneres," she said.

To keep reading about famous couples, check out 17 Celebrity Women Who Have Much Younger Partners.

Lia Beck
Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Read more
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