Saturday, February 2, 2008

Heath Ledger's Ex: 'My Heart Is Broken'

Michelle Williams Matilda
Heath Ledger's ex-fiancee says she is "heartbroken" by the star's death and asked that she and their little daughter be allowed to grieve in private.

Actress Michelle Williams, who reportedly split with Ledger over his drug use in September, has stayed out of sight since rushing home to New York after learning of Ledger's death two weeks ago.

Ledger was found dead in his Soho loft from an apparent prescription medicine overdose. His family is still waiting for an exact cause of death from the New York City medical examiner.

In her first statement since Ledger died, Williams said, "Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken." The statement was released by Ledger's spokeswoman.

According to People magazine, the actress was "devastated" upon hearing the news and rushed off a movie shoot in Sweden to fly back to New York with their daughter, Matilda. She arrived at the Brooklyn home the two once shared Jan. 23, greeted by makeshift memorials of flowers and letters.

Williams, 27, and Ledger, 28, met while filming "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005. She played his wife in the movie. The couple dated, lived together in Brooklyn, N.Y., and had Matilda in October 2005. Despite rumors about a wedding, the two split in September 2007.

Ledger was found dead in his downtown Manhattan apartment Jan. 22, with bottles of prescription drugs nearby. The actor's cause of death remains open, pending toxicology tests. Clips from a January 2006 video of Ledger at a Hollywood drug party were released earlier this week, increasing speculation that drugs may have been involved in his untimely death.

Ledger's family and friends, including former girlfriend Naomi Watts, paid tribute to the actor at a private memorial service in Los Angeles, Saturday night. According to Australia's The Age, Ledger's body will be buried in his hometown of Perth next week and Williams is expected to attend the funeral.

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