Anne Heche visited Glass Hair in Venice the day of her accident on August 5, and the salon owner, Richard Glass, has spoken out about his devastation and ‘remorse,’ of being the last person she saw.
In a video shared by TMZ earlier on Friday, the business owner expressed his sadness for not being able to help the actress, 53, when she came into his salon to purchase a red wig the day of her crash.
He also added how he felt anger towards individuals on social media blaming him for her death, and also accusing him of giving her drugs found in her body, saying, ‘I’m not that person.’
Selfie together: Richard Glass, the owner of Glass Hair in Venice, saw Anne Heche, 53, the day of her deadly crash on August 5
Richard had taken a selfie with the award-winning star when she stopped by his salon to purchase a wig before her crash.
The two were pictured sending a big smile to the camera and appeared to be in high spirits.
In the caption he wrote, ‘So I met @anneheche today and she purchased a #redwig so random…’ He ended the caption by typing out he loves Venice Beach with additional hash tags.
In a video to TMZ, the salon owner expressed his feelings for not helping her enough to keep her alive.
‘I just feel a huge remorse. I feel like I could have done something more. Like the universe sent her here for me to impact her in some kind of way.’
Remorse: The salon owner was the last person to see the actress and he stated in a video to TMZ, ‘I just feel a huge remorse. I feel like I could have done something more’; pictured in 2019
‘And I just feel like I didn’t do everything that I was supposed to do, like to keep her here, to protect her.’
Towards the end of his tearful statement, he added, ‘I’m extremely emotional about it because it’s just wearing on my heart. Like, this woman, she needed help and I wasn’t there enough.’
Richard also talked about how he was appalled by the harsh accusations some people have sent towards him on social media, claiming he gave her cocaine or fentanyl found in her system due to him being the last person she had seen.
‘There are people who are nice. There are people who are just evil,’ he explained during the clip. ‘You know, making accusations that I had something to do what her toxicology report said.’
The businessman adamantly expressed, ‘I’ve never done any type of drugs. I don’t do that. I’m not that person.’
Accusations: The businessman added that people were accusing him of giving the star the drugs found in her system after her crash, stating, ‘I’ve never done any type of drugs’; pictured in 2018
Devastating: Anne drove her Mini Cooper into an apartment complex garage, following by a second crash into a home, resulting in her car catching on fire, and the residence; pictured in 2021
Anne was driving her Mini Cooper on August 5 when she crashed into a garage at an apartment complex at a dangerously high speed, followed by crashing into a house in Los Angeles. The actress was left with serious fire and burn injuries after the car and home caught on fire.
According to People, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner ruled her death an accident due to smoke inhalation and thermal injuries from the fire.
An additional cause that attributed to her death was due to ‘sternal fracture’ which is a result of blunt trauma.
After remaining in a coma for about a week, she was announced legally dead on August 12, but was kept on life support with her heart was still beating to donate her organs, which was her wish. Two days later, she was taken off life support on August 14.
Remorse: Richard explained in his video that he wished he had done more to help Anne, saying, ‘she needed help and I wasn’t there enough’; pictured in 2020 in Hollywood
Anne’s son, Homer, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Coley Laffoon, expressed his devastation to People following her passing.
He explained how emotional the days had been up until she was taken off of life support, but added, ‘Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.’
The I Know What You Did Last Summer actress has another son, Atlas, with her ex, James Trupper.
A representative also released a statement to the publication. ‘Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy.’
‘Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.’
Legacy: The actress had a long-lasting career in the entertainment industry, and her works will continue to be remembered; pictured in March of this year in Beverly Hills
Sad loss: Anne has two sons, Homer, whom she shares with her ex, Coley Laffoon, and another son, Atlas, whom she shares with ex, James Trupper; Anne and James pictured together in 2017