A somber holiday. Anne Heche‘s ex-husband, Coleman Laffoon, gave a glimpse of how he and son Homer Laffoon are preparing for their first Christmas since the actress’ death.
“@homerheche has been through a lot,” Coleman, 49, captioned an Instagram photo of Homer, 20, decorating the family’s Christmas tree on Sunday, December 11. “To have him with us, capping the tree with a star, sharing his joy & loving and being loved by his family is a moment that takes my breath away. I want to share that moment here. We are lucky and grateful to have Homer with us. Three cheers for Ho-ho-Homer. We love you.”
Heche and the Ohio native were married from 2001 to 2009, welcoming Homer in 2002. News broke in August that the Emmy winner died without a will at age 53 following a car crash in Los Angeles.
“In the wake of Anne’s passing, I just wanted to say a few things,” Coleman said in an Instagram video at the time, expressing his grief over the shocking loss. “One, I loved her and I miss her, and I’m always going to. Two, Homer is OK. He’s grieving, of course, and it’s rough — it’s really rough, as probably anybody can imagine. But he’s surrounded by family and he’s strong and he’s gonna be OK.”
The real estate broker told his social media followers that Heche’s death was “really hard” for him and Homer. “But we got each other and we have a lot of support, and we’re gonna be OK,” he said.
Following his mother’s passing, Homer filed a request for control over Heche’s estate. The Call Me Crazy author also shared son Atlas, 13, with ex James Tupper, who challenged Homer in court for the rights to the estate.
In court docs obtained by Us Weekly in September, Tupper, 57, claimed that the Dancing With the Stars alum sent him an email in 2011 saying that she intended to leave her assets to him “to be used to raise my children and then given to the children.” The alleged message stated that the estate would “be divided equally among our children, currently Homer Heche Laffoon and Atlas Heche Tupper, and their portion given to each when they are the age of 25. When the last child turns 25 any house or other properties owned may be sold and the money divided equally among our children.”
Tupper went on to argue that Homer wasn’t capable of the responsibility that came along with taking over Heche’s accounts. “Mr. Tupper’s claims regarding [Homer’s] ‘suitability’ to serve as personal representative are not only immaterial, they are inaccurate and unfounded,” read a court filing obtained by Us in September. “Mr. Tupper’s allegation that [Homer] has not had contact with his brother [Atlas] since their mother’s death is patently false.”
Us confirmed in November that Homer was named general administrator of the Another World alum’s estate and was granted “special powers” over the probate.
The California native previously addressed the loss of his mother shortly after her fatal car accident. “My brother Atlas and I lost our Mom. After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness,” Homer noted in an August statement. “Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.”
At the time, Homer thanked the “thousands of friends, family and fans” who expressed their condolences and shared memories of the late I Know What You Did Last Summer actress. “I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my stepmom Alexi who continue to be my rock during this time,” he concluded.
