Ellen DeGeneres sent a loving message to ex Anne Heche's family shortly before the actress was declared legally dead: 'This is a sad day'

• Ellen DeGeneres sent comfort to the family of Anne Heche shortly before she was declared legally dead.
• DeGeneres tweeted that she was sending "love" to Heche's two sons on Friday afternoon.

Ellen DeGeneres, 64, tweeted a message of comfort to the family of Anne Heche shortly before the actress was declared legally dead on Friday.

"This is a sad day. I'm sending Anne's children, family, and friends all of my love," wrote the talk-show host.

On August 5, the 53-year-old actress crashed into a two-story home in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles while the owner was in the backyard. The collision caused a "heavy fire" that left Heche badly burned, authorities said.

Though she was stable after the accident, Heche's condition deteriorated in the days that followed. A spokesperson for the actress said Heche fell into a coma and had suffered "significant pulmonary injury" that required mechanical ventilation, as well as burns requiring "surgical intervention."

A statement from Heche's spokesperson on Thursday night said that she had suffered a "severe anoxic brain injury" and was "not expected to survive."

On Friday, a representative confirmed that Heche was considered legally dead by the state of California. "Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend," they said in a statement to People and other publications.

"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," the statement continued.

People reports that Heche, who is survived by her sons Atlas Heche Tupper, 13, and Homer Laffoon, 20, was an organ donor and will remain on life support until her organs are matched to recipients by the OneLegacy Foundation.

Heche and DeGeneres dated from 1997 to 2000. The public profile of their relationship helped break barriers for the LGBTQ community in mainstream media, though Heche said it hurt her career.

DeGeneres isn't the only one of Heche's exes to comment on the tragedy. James Tupper, Heche's former partner and the father of her youngest son Atlas, posted a close-up snapshot of the actress with the caption "love you forever" on Friday morning. The message was accompanied by a broken heart emoji. Tupper and Heche met in 2006 and dated until 2018.