In 1997, Heche made headlines for her personal life when she began dating Ellen DeGeneres. One of the first openly gay female couples in Hollywood, the pair faced intense scrutiny but tried to use their journey for good.
"Once a week [we] work with homeless teens at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center," DeGeneres told Teen People in 1998. "The kids there don't see any hope. We try to explain to them that every person who's ever gone on to do great things has had to overcome something huge."
When Heche was featured in PEOPLE's 1998 Beautiful Issue, DeGeneres called her girlfriend "a shining star. She's just full of light."
"Looking at Ellen is my beauty secret," Heche added. "When I look at her, I feel good."
The pair split in 2000; one day after they announced their breakup, Heche was found in a stranger's home in Fresno, California, calling herself "Celestia" and looking for a spaceship. Years later, she told PEOPLE she'd been high on ecstasy, but that the moment and its aftermath brought her healing.
"Every relationship in my life was leading to the moment where I went to Fresno," she told PEOPLE. "I made some really outrageous choices to find love, and I'm so grateful for it. Without Ellen, I never would have been as clear as I am now."