Heath Ledger’s remains were finally cremated yesterday, after what sounds like a beautiful and fitting tribute to the young actor. There was a memorial which was attended by hundreds, as well as a small private funeral. Heath’s family, ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, actress Cate Blanchett, and fellow Perth-born model Gemma Ward joined the hundreds of mourners at the large first service, which was held in the theater of Guildford Grammar school. Michelle was reportedly distraught throughout the service. Both Heath’s sister Kate Ledger and Cate Blanchett gave speeches, and Heath’s favorite songs were played.

A mourner told the paper, “Kate (Ledger) spoke of the unique bond she shared with her brother, how he would ring her three or four times a day and how he never forgot his friends even at the height of his fame.”

Blanchett also delivered an emotional eulogy.

“He achieved so much in his short life and was capable of so much in the future,” she said.

Ledger’s favorite songs were played at the memorial, including “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes, “The Times, They are A-Changin’” by Bob Dylan, the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” and “Come Together,” and Ben Harper’s “Happily Ever After,” which Harper wrote for Ledger and Williams’ two-year-old daughter Matilda.

[From Us Weekly]

During what was described as a subdued wake at the Indiana Tea House on Cottesloe Beach, many mourners, including Michelle Williams, jumped into the ocean as the sun was setting.

At least 50 people attending the wake ran onto the beach and many began to take off their clothes. While some women took the plunge in their black dresses, other men and women stripped down to just their underwear and jumped into the ocean.

Williams, still wearing her cream-colored sundress and black sunglasses, was briefly dragged into the water as everyone cheered. She was then quickly surrounded by a group of mourners, creating a protective circle around the actress.

Those in the water laughed and cheered as Michelle watched from the shore. Ledger’s sister Kate also took a dive into the water and was surrounded by pals splashing around her while her father Kim Ledger watched from the restaurant’s balcony and shouted, “Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray!” giving two thumbs up in the air.

As the sun began to set, the swimmers came on shore and stood in a line on both sides of Williams and linked arms. In the last five minutes, as the sun moved toward the horizon, the mourners stood in silence, watching and embracing.

[From People]

What a lovely tribute to Heath. I have always been a big fan of the idea of funerals as a celebration of a person’s life, but the younger and/or more tragically they die, the harder that is to do. It sounds like Heath’s family mixed the unavoidably heart wrenching memorials, funerals, and wakes with a bit of a celebration of Heath’s infectious spirit.

Michelle Williams has done her best to stay away from the press since ex-boyfriend Heath Ledger passed away ten days ago. Michelle released a statement today through Ledger’s rep, asking that the press respect her privacy. It was a really touching and sad statement, in which Michelle said that her “heart is broken.”

Michelle Williams is speaking out for the first time since ex Heath Ledger’s untimely death January 22.

“Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken,” Williams, 27, said in a statement released on Friday by Ledger’s rep, Reuters reports.

“I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father,” Williams continued in her statement.

“All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day.

“His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still.

“She will be brought up with the best memories of him,” Williams’ statement concluded.

[From Us Weekly]

I think that - for the most part - the press has shown a good amount of restraint towards Heath’s family. I wasn’t really thrilled with the magazines that chose to print photos of Michelle Williams arriving back in the states from Sweden after Heath died. And there have certainly been some unscrupulous news outlets that have reported on every little rumor that flew their way. But it seems like that majority of websites have waited on confirmations before publishing news related to Ledger’s death investigation. While it was sad that Entertainment Tonight bought the video of Heath supposedly doing drugs two years ago, I think it says a lot that so many people came out and requested them not to air it - and they listened. Hopefully everyone will continue to be respectful and give Heath Ledger’s family their space.

Yesterday commentors over at US Weekly were overwhelmingly critical of a new cover story about Heath Ledger’s supposed past drug use. They claim to have an exclusive about how the recently-deceased up and coming A-list actor decided not to go to rehab in 2006. As if that had anything to do with his death nearly two years later, in which no illegal drugs or even alcohol was found in his apartment. Multiple sources have said that Heath only drank nonalcoholic beverages around them in the months leading up to his death, and the autopsy was inconclusive, but showed that he had pneumonia. Sources tell TMZ (who never hesitate to print negative news when they get their grubby hands on it, so this seems plausible) that preliminary toxicology reports are inconclusive and point to a natural or accidental cause of death.

Now there’s supposedly a new video showing Heath snorting coke confessing to being a habitual pot smoker for 20 years while another man on the tape snorts something. It was taken on January 29, 2006, and Heath mentioned his baby daughter by name and says he’s “going to get so much shit from his girlfriend.” This suggests to me that it was a rare occasion when he did cocaine he was just out at a party and felt guilty about it. (Update: The NY Daily News’ story about the tape clears up the misconception in Page Six’s report that Heath was actually shown snorting something - he wasn’t) . Entertainment Tonight and The Insider bought the video, shot at the Chateau Marmot, for $200,000. They sent a warning to other outlets not to publish it, but Page Six notes that Entertainment Tonight is still deciding whether to air it or not.

How many of us have done illegal drugs in the past, including cocaine? If you keeled over tomorrow for some other reason, how fair would it be if all people talked about was how you did drugs a few years back?

It’s possible that Heath did die from some kind of drug-related cause, either prescription or illegal, but what good does it do to speculate about that just a week after he died? And how flimsy is this “evidence” from nearly two years ago? We don’t have any new information about his death yet, except for testimonials and heartfelt wishes that keep pouring in from people who knew him. It just doesn’t seem fair to bring this up.

There are stories that Heath had a drug problem and that Michelle wanted him to get tested before he had visits with Matilda. Those reports originated in the Daily Mail, which is notorious for making shit up entirely. It could be true, but what kind of evidence do we have other than a two year old video and some hearsay?

Thanks to commentors for pointing out that last week on “The Soup” host Joel McHale showed a picture of Heath and said “Stop digging through the dirt, weasels. A talented decent guy is gone and our thoughts go to those who knew him.” Here’s a link to the video.

Update: Entertainment Tonight reports that they will not run the video of Heath “Out of respect for Heath Ledger’s family.”

Heath Ledger was working on the film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in the UK right before his untimely death. One of Heath’s co-stars in the film, Christopher Plummer, has revealed that the director, Terry Gilliam, plans to use computer generated imagery to produce the scenes that Heath had not yet filmed. Plummer, who plays Dr. Parnassus in the movie, also revealed that Heath was ill on set, that he was taking antibiotics and pills to sleep, and that he often talked about how he had trouble sleeping. It sounds like their filming schedule was grueling as Plummer says “We had to shoot every second we were out there”:

Director Terry Gilliam is trying to “salvage” The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus which Ledger was in the middle of shooting before his shocking death.

Gilliam’s close friend Christopher Plummer, who stars as title character Dr. Parnassus in the movie, said: “Terry’s throwing himself into the job of trying to salvage the picture. He’s terribly saddened by what happened, and is trying to work out how to continue. He wants to dedicate it to Heath.

“Fortunately, because the film deals with magic, there is a way of turning Heath into other people, and then use stills and computer generated imagery (CGI).”

Veteran actor Plummer also revealed Ledger was ill while on location in London for the project.

He added: “We all caught colds because we were shooting outside on horrible, damp nights. But Heath’s went on and I don’t think he dealt with it immediately, even when he was taking antibiotics. I think what he had was the walking pneumonia.

“We had to shoot every second we were out there. There was hardly any time to keep warm.

“He was saying all the time, ‘Damn it, I can’t sleep’, and he was taking all these pills to help him.”

[From News.com.au via Fark]

This reminds me of the 1993 death of The Crow star Brandon Lee, who was killed when a prop gun was accidentally loaded with a bullet on set. He died after a shot to the stomach in a scripted scene with a co-star, who of course assumed that the gun just held blanks. There were 8 days left for shooting, and a stunt double replaced Lee in some scenes in which his face was digitally added afterwards. Technology has advanced so much in 15 years and it’s sure to be an easier process with Ledger’s film.

Ledger’s ex Michelle Williams was working on Blue Valentine with Ryan Gosling in Sweden when she received the news that the father of her child had passed. Filming has been postponed to allow her time to grieve. People Magazine quotes a source as saying “We will hold off until she is ready. The production is in the process of sorting it out in respect to her.”

Celebrities and public figures who have spoken out recently about Ledger’s death include his Four Feathers co-star Wes Bentley, who it turns out shuns the spotlight even more than Ledger did. Bentley took a five year hiatus after Four Feathers and is now acting again. He even helped Heath get his role in Monster’s Ball after he backed out at the last minute and was afraid of being sued. He said:

“At one point we were as close as two people could get without being blood. That closeness came from sharing a similar, life-altering experience in life at a young age where very few could relate and those who could often were pre-occupied with competition. It would have been isolating, not to mention boring, without him…. I don’t know if I could have come back without him.”

[From People.com]

Self help guru Deepak Chopra was supposed to have dinner with Heath the day he died. He’s a friend of Shekhar Kapur, who directed Heath in The Four Feathers, and the three were scheduled to dine together that fateful night. Chopra said he spoke to Heath the day before and that he mentioned that he missed his daughter Matilda, and said he was not able to see her over the holidays. Chopra called Ledger a hard-working actor and said “He was still high from the experience [of filming in London] and he hadn’t come down … He was exhausted.”

As for whether Heath committed suicide, Chopra speculates that it’s unlikely because “He was connected to life and joy.” [Details From People.com]

Heath’s co-star in the groundbreaking film Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhaal, has yet to issue a public statement and is said to be understandably broken up about his good friend’s sudden death. People reports this the film he was working on, Brothers, is shooting around him while he takes personal leave. They also told a funny story about how Jake made a joke on set before Heath died by putting a picture of him on the wall of his prison cell before filming a harrowing scene.

Here are photos of Ledger’s well-documented life in chronological order from newest to oldest. RIP Heath, we hardly knew you.

From 2007

From 2006

From 2005 and earlier

When I first read this story via e-mail I thought it was a joke, like one of those fake press releases that says some child actor you haven’t heard of in years has died in an accident. I was like “Oh yeah, the masseuse found him,” and I e-mailed Vera at I’m Not Obsessed that the article she sent had to be fake, because I just wouldn’t believe it. Except in this case it wasn’t someone unknown, it was Heath and the story was all too real.

We haven’t covered Ledger favorably in the past because he was a guy who shunned photographers, generally looked grumpy and was portrayed as a bit of a cad after his split with Michelle Williams. He seemed like he was a hipster Hollywood star who perfected the disheveled look and chased skirts. Maybe Ledger died of an accidental overdose of whatever medication he was taking to help him sleep, or maybe this was something else and we’ll soon hear about it. His family denies that he committed suicide and initial impressions point to an accident. TMZ reports that he had pneumonia at the time of his death, and we’ll have to wait to see if there are more details.

However Ledger died, there was undoubtedly much more to this guy than we saw. He wasn’t just a grumpy star who wasn’t into appearances, he was a person with interests and fears and a father who wanted to protect his daughter. There may have been a deep shyness behind his reluctance to accept the scrutiny that comes with being famous.

There was an incident at the Sydney premiere of Brokeback Mountain in which paparazzi squirted Heath and Michelle with water pistols. It was thought at first that Heath wasn’t too bothered by it, but his father later revealed that Heath was distraught and cried about it that night. He also asked his father to sell his home and decided to move out of his native Australia as a direct result. We blasted Heath for being a “crybaby,” but a fan really schooled us on how Heath was the victim of incredible harassment by those same paparazzi, who would camp outside his house and taunt him night and day. She also said that despite his persona Heath had a reputation in the industry of just being shy and fearful of public events:

Do you know that the Sydney paparazzi slept in his bushes and behind his bar-b-que to try to sneak pictures into his house? Every night! Do you know that they parked at the end of his driveway and waited for him to leave his home and followed him & Michelle everywhere they went? One even interruped a scene on the set of Candy, and then menacingly whispered, “See you at home, Heath.”

How would you feel? Do you really think that in order to be an actor a person has to be subjected to this? Where’s the line?

How much would it take for you to flip off someone who harrassed you daily?

At some point the stress builds up and you have to let it out. He cried. I don’t think that’s anything to be ashamed of. It doesn’t make him a “girl”. It makes him human.

Heath’s father didn’t tell anything Heath hadn’t admitted already. He had said in an earlier interview that he broke down when he got home. Extreme stress, built up over time can do that to a person. Not just being squirted by a water gun, but the constant harrassment and viciousness. That was just the final straw, and he had to let it out.

None of us can understand how much pressure and stress they had been putting on him and how long it had been going on. How many lies had been printed and how long he had kept quiet and not defended himself? He’s only now beginning to speak out.

Heath is a very gentle and private person. He doesn’t have an ego. Industry friends who know him tell me that he’s extremely shy. Sometimes people think he’s being aloof; premieres are a nightmare for him, and he’s uncomfortable being approached by strangers, but he doesn’t have an ego. He’s not ashamed to admit he cried. I think it’s admirable.

He wants to act. He likes the work. It’s the acting part he loves. And why should he have to give that up, just because some photographers lack common decency and manners.

[Comment from Phyllis of the now-down HeathHeathens.com]

Heath personally wrote a letter to the NY Post after they published a blurb in the Page Six section in November, 2005 revealing the exact location of his new brownstone with Michelle and daughter Matilda. He denied the story that they were rude to any neighbors and admonished the paper in a measured tone, saying that “Page Six’s revealing our whereabouts could possibly put our child in danger.”

Ledger had plenty of reason to be annoyed with the paparazzi and media based on his experience. It seems he couldn’t even escape them in death. There are already plenty of photos and video of his covered body being taken out to a waiting ambulance.

Australian actor Heath Ledger has died in his New York Apartment, following a suspected heart attack brought on by drug overdose. He was 28.

The New York Times reports he was found by a masseuse who had an appointment with Heath this afternoon at 3:31pm.

At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities. The police said they did not suspect foul play and said they found pills near body.

Heath Ledger was born in Perth, Australia, and became well known after appearing in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. He appeared in a variety of films including The Patriot, A Knight’s Tale, and Ned Kelly before breaking seriously into Hollywood with Brokeback Mountain. For this role as a homosexual cowboy he was nominated for an Oscar.

During the filming of Brokeback Mountain he began a relationship with his on-screen wife Michelle Williams, and together they have a two year old daughter Matilda. They broke off their relationship in September 2007.

This is truly awful news, particularly since I am not aware of any history of addiction for Heath, but the holidays can be a very hard time of year for some people. TMZ reports that Heath did have a history of substance abuse, but had been clean for a year.

They also report the death was accidental. The autopsy will be tomorrow.

Heath can currently be seen portraying Bob Dylan in I’m Not There, and he is also playing the Joker in the latest Batman film The Dark Knight. No word on whether filming of his role was complete. Currently he is filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

Our thoughts go out to Heath’s family and friends.

Michelle Williams - the surly actress who used to be with Heath Ledger, not the former member of Destiny’s Child - split with her baby’s father sometime in late summer of this year. In November she was linked with Junebug director Phil Morrison, but that either didn’t work out or she’s playing the field, because she was seen out to dinner with hot Canadian actor Ryan Gosling. They even took a stroll together. His rep insists that they were just discussing a potential project, though:

[Michelle Williams] was spotted enjoying a romantic meal in NYC with Ryan Gosling on November 11! After dining at Italian restaurant Piadina, the two 27-year-olds were seen strolling the city’s famed Bleecker street. Reps for Ryan, who ended his relationship with Rachel McAdams in March and was linked with Hayden Panettiere earlier this month, say the two met to discuss an upcoming film project.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, December 31, 2007]

Gosling had us all gossiping this fall when he gained twenty pounds for a role in Peter Jackson’s film The Lovely Bones, but was dumped from the project and replaced by Mark Wahlberg just a few days before filming was set to begin. Rumor had it that director Jackson thought Gosling had gained too much weight, but Gosling sang Jackson’s praises in a subsequent interview and said that they had creative differences over whether he was too young for the part.

Gosling seems like a great guy considering how mature and thoughtful he comes off in interviews. He has spoken candidly about his breakup with longterm girlfriend and fellow star of The Notebook, Rachel McAdams. He called her “one of the great loves of my life,” and said that they “went down swingin’ and… called it a draw.” If Michelle Williams is getting a piece of that she’s a lucky woman. He’s a major step up from Heath Ledger.

It could be true that Gosling and Williams were just having a romantic intimate dinner to discuss work and all, but since they’re both attractive single people you can’t help but think there’s something going on there.

Ryan Gosling is shown at the premiere of Lars and the Real Girl on 10/2/07. Michelle Williams is shown at the NY film festival on 10/4/07, thanks to PRPhotos.

Surly Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger seemed like a paparazzi-hating match made in heaven, but their three year relationship was over by the end of this summer. They have a two year old daughter, Matilda, and it seems like they are sharing custody as Heath has been seen out with her since their split.

There’s been news that Heath has been trying to score all over NY, and now Michelle Williams is said to be in a new relationship with Junebug director Phil Morrison:

Michelle Williams has found comfort in the arms of Junebug director Phil Morrison. The longtime friends “are being cautious. because they know Michelle is just coming off a serious relationship - but it’s hard to take things slow when you’re having so much fun,” says a friend of the couple.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, November 5, 2007]

The NY Post reports today and Michelle is looking to move out of the brownstone in Brooklyn that she shared with Heath and their daughter. It is said to be too big for just her and the two year-old:

FAMED Brooklyn resident Michelle Williams may be leaving her outer-borough followers in the dust. Williams was recently overheard telling friends she was considering a move to Manhattan, now that her cad of an ex, Heath Ledger, the father of her daughter, Matilda, has shipped off to SoHo. “The Brooklyn brownstone is too big for just her and the baby,” our tipster said of the actress’ Cobble Hill place.

[From NYPost.com]

At least she’s not moving in with the guy already, or maybe she is and that’s why she wants to get rid of her old place.

27 year-old Williams has four movies coming out in the next year, according to IMDB. She will next appear in the thriller The Tourist with Ewan McGregor and Hugh Jackson. I was thinking that she might have hooked up with Morrison to get some choice parts, but unlike Rose McGowan’s relationship with Robert Rodriguez, their relationship might be driven more by genuine feeling rather than lusty ambition. While Williams’ career is doing well, Morrison only has a few films to his credit. His last two projects were 2005’s Junebug and Perfect Partner.

Michelle Williams is shown at the NY Film Festival on 10/4/07, thanks to PRPhotos. Picture of Phil Morrison below thanks to Jim Emerson’s blog.

Heath Leger and Michelle Williams lead a very low-key lifestyle in Brooklyn punctuated by the occasional annoying paparazzo who catches them going about their daily business with surly looks on their faces. They have a daughter who will be two next month, Matilda, and have been together for a little over two three years. There was a story first reported by DListed that they applied for a marriage license in Brooklyn, but it was never confirmed that there was an actual ceremony. They were spotted wearing what appeared to be wedding rings, but they could have been symbolic and don’t necessarily mean they were legally married.

Now US Weekly is reporting that they split up “quietly and amicably” a few weeks ago:

A source close to the couple tells Us that Heath and Michelle “quietly and amicably split a few weeks ago.”

“The relationship had been rocky recently. They tried very hard to make it work but finally decided to separate. They just grew apart.”

The couple, who live in Brooklyn, NY and have a daughter, Mathilda, 23 months, met on the set of Brokeback Mountain in 2005.

“They have a beautiful daughter and they are both committed to being great parents.”

[From US Weekly]

Heath and Michelle’s reps haven’t commented on their supposed split yet.

I guess in all those candids of them looking miserable they really were miserable. They must have had that in common though, and maybe what once brought them together slowly eroded their relationship until there was nothing left. It’s sad when people break up, but they’re not my favorite celebrities and I can’t deny the schadenfreude I feel at hearing that they’ve broken up.

I’m interested to see if they really are married or not. Now that they’re breaking up we’ll probably get more details as the legal papers come out.

Heath Ledger is working on the Batman Begins sequel, in which he will play the role of Joker. Michelle Williams is looking busy lately too. According to IMDB she has four movies coming out next year, two of which she’s finished filming. Maybe they were both so wrapped up in their work they didn’t have time for each other and just drifted apart. Or maybe Heath was jealous that he wasn’t getting as much work as her.

In the header image Heath and Michelle are shown at the Independent Spirit Awards in February, and on vacation a while ago in the photo below.

Sorry if you’re a Heath Ledger fan, but he’s looking really fug. It doesn’t seem to bother his maybe-wife and the mother of his baby, Michelle Williams, as she’s still staring at him adoringly on the red carpet. Her hair is a bit of a risk, but it’s surely low-maintenance, and along with what I believe are some new features, she’s looking rather cute in that pixie cut.

Heath, on the other hand, needs to lose the caterpillar facial hair and soul patch and get a Britney ‘do. If you’re losing your hair, guys, and you’ve got a decent-shaped head, shave it off. I personally have a thing for bald and balding guys and think they’re hot with the right attitude and close-cropped haircut. Heath is an attractive, albeit arrogant-seeming guy, and he would look great in a nice short buzz cut. He’s probably cultivating the unkempt look to keep the female fans at bay, though, and it’s working.

Leo DiPorkchop gains a few lbs, while Heath doesn’t wash his hair, grows a bad moustache, and wears really ugly sunglasses. They both have their means of ensuring that their days as a teen heart throb are well behind them.

Heath and Michelle are shown at the Independent Spirit Awards, where Ryan Gosling and Shareeka Epps took home the surprise awards for best actor and actress for roles in Half Nelson, while Little Miss Sunshine won best picture, best screenplay and best director. Sarah Silverman hosted the ceremony.

Pictures from GossipRocks.