James Tupper has thanked actress Emily Bergl for hitting back at accusations his former girlfriend Anne Heche was "crazy"

He said online: "Oh god thank you for writing this... love you e."

In a lengthy post, Emily, 47, said Heche - who died on Friday (12.08.22) aged 53 after a fiery car crash left her in a coma - was a "genius".

She said: "'You worked with crazy Anne Heche?' 'So how crazy was she?'

"I worked with Anne Heche for two years on the TV show 'Men in Trees', and this line of questioning was usually the first out of people's mouths.

"She elicited more curiosity than any other famous person I've ever worked with. I'd like to give you the answers to the questions I most received about Anne, answers that I gave many, many times.

"Anne was not only a genius, but one of the most astoundingly focused and prepared actors I've ever worked with.

"I don't think I ever saw her miss her mark. I imagine she may have called for her line once or twice but I can't recall her ever needing it. I asked her what her secret was, and she told me her first job was playing twins on 'Another World', so she had to memorize up to seventy pages of dialogue a day."

Bergl admitted: "The only joke I did make about Anne was that it's likely she didn't have a psychotic break, but really was an alien, because her strength seemed super human."

But she said it was a reference to Heche's obsessive dedication when it came to work.

The actress continued: "She would work for twelve hours, invite everyone to the bar, drink a couple of doubles, and be back at work at four AM.

"As I would roll in feeling barely human, she would walk into the makeup trailer, always on time, her smiling face luminous without a lick of makeup. Scene after scene, her work would be flawless, and yet always remained spontaneous. I don't think she was capable of phoning it in.

And then she would do it all again the next day."

Referring to Heche's distressing past, Bergl added: "It's no wonder Anne titled her brilliant memoir 'Call Me Crazy', she beat everyone to the punch.

"She was talking about mental health before it was acceptable to talk about those struggles. She was raped by her father, her brother killed himself, and her mother told her she would burn in Hell for loving a woman.

"But despite a sometimes harrowing life, she was so much fun to be around. She was insouciant, joyous, insightful.

"We so rarely investigate the abuse, the gaslighting, the misogyny, the homophobia that drives people to finally take up the 'crazy' mantle that's been placed upon them. I would tell you to read 'Call Me Crazy', but it's now $200 on Amazon. I paid it because I want to read it again.

She was a true genius, and I miss her."

Heche, whose exes include Ellen DeGeneres, 64, was removed from life support on Sunday (14.08.22), with her representative saying: "We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother and a loyal friend."

The actress' eldest son, Homer, 20, has said he hopes the 'Donnie Brasco' actress is now "free of pain".

Heche had Homer in 2002 while married to Coleman 'Coley' Laffoon and after the couple split in 2007, she moved on with James.

They had Atlas in 2009, before also splitting in 2018.

Following Heche's car crash, James said on Instagram he will "love (her) forever".