James Tupper on Anne Heche’s Death: ‘It’s Been Very Difficult’

James Tupper is opening up about losing Anne Heche.

James recently shared with People magazine how he and Atlas, his 13-year-old son with Heche, have been coping after the tragic car crash that took the actress’ life in August 2022.

“We’re taking care of each other and taking it one day at a time,” Tupper told People at the Race to Erase MS Gala on Friday. “We’ve got a lot of great support and family around us, and it doesn’t help. We still miss her, we miss her every day, love her.

“I want to say that I’m doing great, but it’s been a very, very difficult time. A very big transition and spending time with my boy and looking after him, that’s basically been my whole focus,” James said.

“It’s very difficult whenever you lose a parent like that. Your whole world switches inside out, and I think kids experience trauma in a way that adults don’t. Adults have a context to put it in, but kids do not. You want to bury it, you want to forget about it and move past it,” he explained.

James went on to say that he can sympathize with what his son is feeling, as he also suffered the loss of a parent at an early age.

“I happened to have lost my mom, too, when I was very, very young. So, I kind of understand what he’s going through.”

Adding that grief “comes in waves,” James told the outlet that there have been moments while driving where he has had to pull his car over because he was “so upset.”

“This shock that she’s gone now — someone that you really loved and really knew very, very well... [It’s] impossible to get over quickly,” said James.

With regard to how he and Atlas are dealing with the devastating loss, James said, “Atlas has taken up tennis, so he plays like two to three hours a day, and I think that’s creating a real nice balance.” He also shared that Atlas “has really good friends.”

“So, keeping these things carefully in balance, that’s how we’re getting through grief.”