Anne Heche’s ex-boyfriend James Tupper is enjoying every day with their son Atlas, especially as he enters teenagehood.
Tupper, 58, expressed his love for fatherhood, describing it as his top priority. He shared his joy and pride in watching his son, Atlas, grow and achieve various milestones in his young life.
Atlas, 14, has excelled in academics as a straight-A student and has also shown promise in tennis, being described as a talented player. Tupper spoke of Atlas’s aspirations to pursue tennis either at the university level or professionally.
The actor from “Big Little Lies” commended his son’s determination and resilience, noting how remarkable it is to witness Atlas standing up for himself and facing challenges head-on. Tupper takes pride in supporting his son as he navigates his path towards success and fulfillment.
Atlas, for his part, also gushed about what a great dad Tupper is.
“He really does everything. There’s no sugar coating. He’s everything to me,” the teen told Us. “I wouldn’t be where I am at all [without him] — [he] drives me everywhere, feeds me. There’s nothing he doesn’t do that I don’t like. I really love him very much.”
Tupper became a father in 2009 when he and Heche welcomed Atlas to the world. The pair dated from 2009 to 2018. Heche, who died in August 2022 at age 53, was also mother of son Homer, 22, whom she shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon.
Heche unexpectedly died two years ago after she accidentally drove her car into a Los Angeles residence, resulting in a fire. While the actress was initially in stable condition, she later fell into a coma. Shortly after, Heche’s family announced they were taking the actress off life support, at which point she was legally declared deceased. Heche’s official cause of death was determined to be due to inhalation of smoke and thermal injuries.
At the time of her death, Heche did not have a will — Tupper engaged in a legal battle with Heche’s eldest son over her estate and finances. Us confirmed in November 2022 that Homer was named the general administrator of his mom’s estate.
As Tupper and Atlas have continued to process their grief, they are dedicated to honoring Heche.
“We experienced a great loss, and the gift of Anne’s life with us is unbelievable, and her memories we hold very dear.” Tupper told Us on Sunday. “We celebrate her every year, every Christmas, every birthday.”
Tupper and Atlas decided to get into the spirit of the season by engaging in several holiday theme activities, including attending the Hollywood Christmas parade,
“I just thought it was really fun,” Tupper said of the event. “We got a tree recently, and we set it all up and we got right into that holiday spirit. I don’t know why [we did it] so early this year, but we’ve been shopping for people and teaching my son that giving is more important than receiving.”
The Hollywood Christmas Parade airs Saturday, December 14 on The CW Network at 8 p.m. ET.
With reporting by Mike Vulpo
