Yes, but the difference here is that Daniel Day-Lewis' comments will most likely not be shown or replayed on Fox News/some idiots' radio shows and made a mockery of.
Another difference is that he did not know Heath personally, and is not so close with him that he is his child's godfather. Jake must be a wreck. Maybe he just doesn't feel like sharing that with the world right now. If DDL would weep on Oprah's show, what would poor Jake do?
That said, what DDL said and did was lovely, and I think it's especially great that he did it, on all places, on Oprah, because she's yet another idiot who had/has no idea what kind of a genius she had sitting on her stage two years ago, and she never will.