Anne Celeste Heche (born May 25, 1969) is an American actress, director and screenwriter. Heche was born in Aurora, Ohio, the daughter of Nancy and Donald Heche. Her father was an organist, church founder, Baptist minister, and choir director. Immediately after her high school graduation, she accepted another soap offer and left for New York City. Heche said her split with DeGeneres was not because of a change in her own sexual orientation.In 1998, Heche's sister, Susan Bergman, wrote a book about the family and their relationship with their father.