Lifetime moves forward with plans for Anne Heche film Girl In Room 13 after car accident

Last Friday, we reported that actor Anne Heche had been involved in a dramatic car crash, suffering what have now been described as severe burns after her car crashed through a residential building in Los Angeles. Heche’s current status (and absence) was foregrounded in the Television Critics Association meeting this afternoon, when Lifetime presented a virtual panel on her upcoming film for the network, Girl In Room 13, which the actor was originally expected to virtually attend.

Instead, Lifetime issued a statement ahead of the pre-recorded panel via executive Amy Winter, stating, per Variety, that,

As many of you know, Anne remains in critical condition. And all of us here at Lifetime are deeply concerned for her and everyone affected. We hope that her friends and family stay strong during this difficult time. You know just as much as we do and we ask that you kindly refrain from inquiring about her health status. This project is important to Anne along with each and every one of us. We all started to make a film that would bring attention to the appalling issue of human sex trafficking. We hope that this film moves you and that you are just as inspired as Anne was to help us with our with our mission to stop violence against women.

In Heche’s absence, the panel was performed by Larissa Dias, Caren Benjamin, and director Elisabeth Röhm, talking about the film, which stars Dias and Heche, respectively, as a woman kidnapped by human traffickers, and the mother who works tirelessly to rescue her. Röhm: “We’re all so dedicated to the cause, stopping violence against women and I again thank Lifetime’s so much for creating this platform. All of us, especially Larissa who played this victim, are committed to that cause. And although [Anne] is deeply missed, right now, I will say the film is finished and she did a phenomenal performance—a tour de force much like Larissa.”

A representative for Heche updated the press on her condition on Monday, stating that, “At this time Anne is in extreme critical condition. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention. She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”