Anne Heche thinks the actor’s strike will go ahead, can’t pay her child support


Anne Heche claims she can no longer afford to pay child support for her six-year-old son Homer, as she’s unemployed.

“I am continuing to look for work, but I have no offers pending and the impending strike by the Screen Actors Guild reduces my prospects for work even further,” Heche, 38, writes in court papers.

A judge Wednesday gave her a temporary break, saying she didn’t have to pay her next support payment to her ex Coley Laffoon, 34, covering the month of July. But Superior Court Judge Gail Ruderman Feuer ordered the actress to provide updated income and expense information.

In a court declaration, Heche indicated her financial straits were dire and that she can no longer afford to pay the $14,798 in monthly support, along with private school tuition for her 6-year-old son Homer, the mortgage on her house in Canada where Men In Trees filmed, rent on her Los Angeles home and car expenses.

“Since January 18, 2008, I have been unemployed and had no income from employment except for one very short-term contract for a movie role for which I received a total of $65,00, approximately the amount I received for one episode of Men In Trees, she writes.

People

I’m not sure where I sit on this idea. Anne’s ex-husband Coley Laffoon is getting a whole lot of child support for that kid, plus Anne is paying for his schooling. Coley must be damn pleased he married Anne, he claimed that his income was only $6,000 a year before he quit his job as a videographer to take care of Homer.

Anne, however, was making $65,000 an episode on Men in Trees, filming in Canada. Did she spend all of it? She lists her costs as being her mortgage, her rent, school tuition and child support for Homer, as well as her own car expenses. Why not get rid of one of your homes, or rent a smaller cheaper place? That money is going to take care of your kid, if you had custody of Homer you would still have to support him through the strike.

Reports are that the actor’s strike will go ahead, and a ‘defacto deadline’ of June 30th is preventing many films from beginning their shoot. Obviously Anne Heche thinks it will happen, and Hugh Laurie wants it to proceed. I am really hoping it doesn’t, in New Zealand we’re still waiting for new episodes to appear on TV following the writer’s strike.

Anne Heche and her boyfriend, James Tupper, are shown at the Race to Erase MS Gala on 5/2/08, thanks to WENN.

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19 Responses to “Anne Heche thinks the actor’s strike will go ahead, can’t pay her child support”

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  1. Mr. T says:

    It’s a tough place to be. If I were her, I’d get a regular job and get a lower payment for child support. You can’t count on being employed as an actor in that fickle environment. It’s easy to criticize other’s in these type’s of situations.

    On the actors strike? Who cares? I have given up TV and most movies anymore because they all stink! I watch cable news, cable movies and re-runs of The Rifleman. It may be hokey but it is better than the crap they make now.

  2. Faye says:

    She cna always get a real job if things are that tight.

  3. Ack! says:

    Considering how the inability to pay child support is generally not considered a factor in the obligation to pay it, I don’t get why an out of work actor is treated any different from the rest of the population.

  4. Scott F. says:

    If she were a man, that whole ‘dead beat dad’ legislation would kick in, and her ass would be sitting in a jail cell for the next 30-60 days. It’s great to know we’ve achieved true equality these days.

    On a separate note, I really hope the strike doesn’t go through, because if they’re expecting the kind of public support the writers got… they’re sadly mistaken. People believe a writer living on ramen noodles deserves to be compensated for his work, but no one in his right mind believes these overpaid assholes deserve a single penny more.

    Hey Hollywood, remember what happened when Baseball went on strike? Yeah, get ready to listen to a lot of very pissed off people. It’s hard to take anyone seriously when they make in a year what I’m likely to make in my entire fucking life.

  5. headache says:

    I don’t feel bad for Coley. He’s the one who chose to marry a bat shit crazy idiot who can’t keep her pants on AND reproduce with her. He knows she can’t be depended on.

    What he needs to do is once school starts up, get his behind a job so he’s not up shit creek every time the guys in white coats come for her.

    What she needs to do is cut down on her expenses and keep a savings account so she can pay for her son’s care when she’s not working. Otherwise, someone needs to throw her ass in jail. Scott F is right. Let a man say he doesn’t have the money. Judge would toss his ass in the clink for a bit.

  6. Syko says:

    I don’t understand the not working and nobody can afford to support the kid. Aren’t these able bodied people with at least high school educations? Just get a damn job, already, get rid of the extra baggage, and put the kid in public school. I know that sounds like a stringent way to live, but most of us manage.

  7. J9 says:

    It is always disgraceful when a man has to mooch off a woman.

  8. Sasha says:

    If this were a person of ‘normal’ means, they’d be in jail for failure to pay child support regardless of their excuses. But then famous people aren’t held accountable like the rest of the populace, are they? I lost my love for Anne when it became clear she was just playing the role of a lesbian for the cash and the exposure. For her, it was just another bit part paycheck and when it didn’t garner her the attention and work she wanted, she left it behind. She can always jump in bed with the next rich pair of legs she sees, it’s worked for her in the past.

  9. Anni says:

    why dooesn´t she have custody of homer, does anybody know?

  10. KateNonymous says:

    What other kind of job is she qualified to do? Hold off on the rudeness and vulgarity–I’m serious. It’s not like most actors and actresses have other really successful careers that they can just go back to.

  11. mike says:

    You’re all idiots.

    Get a regular job?! TF?! How many “regular” jobs lets you give away $15000/month + private school tuitions on top of your own expenses? Also, remember that most of the $15000 is so that her loser gold digging ex-hubby can live like a movie star even if he’s no longer married to one. IF she were a man, idiots everywhere would be calling her ex a gold digging b*tch.

  12. Syko says:

    Child support is always negotiable, and is based on the comparative income of the parents. I don’t believe I’m an idiot, Mike, for suggesting that possibly they need to lower their standard of living, get jobs, and live like the rest of the world does, because these people are nothing special. It does not cost $15,000 a month to support one child in a moderate lifestyle. The economy is bad. Everyone is making adjustments. They can too.

    As for what sort of job they are qualified for, there are quite a lot of jobs that don’t require special training or education.

  13. mike says:

    “Negotiable” is key. I bet the ex does not his income reduced, just because Ann doesn’t want to be a movie star. Plus it’s not that simple, Syko. There is a millionaire guy in Cali who has successfully refused to pay a dime for child and spousal support because he claims to be “unable” to pay. He still is rich as hell, but he has gotten himself a minimum wage job and his lawyer has been successful in using his minimum wage job to stonewall the court and let his ex-wife and his kids basically starve, e.g. live like white trashes.

  14. Mairead says:

    I have to say – I had the KateNonymo here, what exactly is she going to work as in the short-term? Unless perhaps a magazine will pay her for an article or something.

    I tried going leaving my current discipline a few years back, and looked for a basic job to keep me going whilst I retrained. I couldn’t get a basic job and the only way I got an interview was when I dumbed down my background. So how much more difficult is it going to be for an actress whom people will assume doesn’t need the job and won’t stay if a script arrived tomorrow.

    Now I’m not saying she shouldn’t pay child support. But the way the information is presented she’s not a “dead-beat mom”. She was paying but as she’s unemployed for 5 months the payment is deferred for a month or two, then if she can’t get work the amount may be revisited.

    But I do wholly agree that the whole family should live a more conservative lifestyle (public school, downsizing the house, cheaper car etc., lose the assistants and nasty dresses) would be a good idea when you’ve not got a steady income.

  15. Ron says:

    Most actors have no sense of financial planning and make millions spend them all and then are broke, not paying thier taxes…Miss Snipes anyone?…not paying their union dues..so they can continue to work.. or child support. You see it happen all the time. At least she stepped up to the plate and admitted she couldn’t keep it up instead of shirking her responsibilites.

  16. Syko says:

    You see that same problem with money management in lots of people, not just actors. I have a relative who earns three times what I do, yet she is always broke because she spends what she has the minute she gets it, buys only the finest of everything – Infiniti SUV when a Toyota hatchback would be more than sufficient – and she and her husband rent a four bedroom house when a two bedroom apartment would be more than enough. It never occurs to her to save any of her income just in case it takes awhile for more to come in.

    I’m not saying this woman, this Ann Heche, can fix things overnight. But she can take baby steps. Move into more reasonable housing, put the kid in public school, sell the second house, fire the staff – and file a motion for modification with the court. They WILL lower her support if she’s not working. Especially if she can make a show of attempting to fix things on her own.

  17. headache says:

    For all you whining and saying this woman can’t get another job, we aren’t suggesting she flip burgers or something. She just has to accept that she is marginally talented and has a crappy reputation and because of that she might want to open her mind to other roles.

    Hosting, soaps, reality tv . . .

  18. gg says:

    … selling slutty 80s-style dresses on QVC … 😆

    I cannot stand this woman.

  19. wandablen says:

    i care as much i do about the stupid “wrtiers” going ons tirke. blech, who cares. get a job,