Heath Ledger - the grieving thread

[loneleeb3]

I personally don't think Heath was suicidal, or that he was overdosing on illegal drugs, but I'm afraid it's already in the public consciousness that one or both of those things was the case.  Thanks to inaccurate, sensationlized reports, the impression has already been delivered.  Just an hour ago, the women on "The View" were discussing it, and one of them repeated the inaccurate report of pills being strewn around and another spoke of him as if he had indeed taken illegal drugs.  Thankfully, Whoopi Goldberg finished the discussion by saying she was not about to believe anything until all the reports were in.

Just now on the local news they showed the Frank Campbell Funeral Home on the Upper East Side.  A crowd of cameramen and reporters were there, just waiting for family or friends to appear so they could get that money picture for today's news.  It was reported that Heath's mother has flown in from Australia to accompany his body back to Perth.

Do you think there is a way we could send flowers or somthing to the Funeral Home in Austrailia?
I feel like I have to do somthing.

[MaineWriter]

Just now on the local news they showed the Frank Campbell Funeral Home on the Upper East Side.  A crowd of cameramen and reporters were there, just waiting for family or friends to appear so they could get that money picture for today's news.  It was reported that Heath's mother has flown in from Australia to accompany his body back to Perth.

Frank Campbell Funeral Home, funeral home of the stars. That's where they took Rudolph Valentino, when he died at the age of 31. (Why do I remember this stuff? LOL). Here's a description from Wikipedia:

An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of New York City to pay their respects at his funeral, handled by the Frank Campbell Funeral Home. The event was a drama itself: actress Pola Negri collapsed in hysterics while standing over the coffin, windows were smashed as fans tried to get in, and Campbell's hired four actors to impersonate a Fascist Blackshirt honor guard, which claimed to have been sent by Benito Mussolini. It was later revealed as a planned publicity stunt. The New York Graphic printed a ghoulish fake composed photograph on its front cover purporting to show Valentino in his casket, before the body actually reached the funeral home.

Let's hope things are a little bit calmer for our beloved Heath.

L

[serious crayons]

Campbell's hired four actors to impersonate a Fascist Blackshirt honor guard, which claimed to have been sent by Benito Mussolini. It was later revealed as a planned publicity stunt. ...

Let's hope things are a little bit calmer for our beloved Heath.

They could probably skip the Fascist Blackshirt honor guard, at least.

[Meryl]

I still haven't heard it confirmed that there will even be a New York funeral.  There were people speculating that one wouldn't be held, possibly to avoid picketing by that monster Phelps (why couldn't the Lord have taken him?). 

[Kd5000]

Perth, Australia is one of the most isolated major cities in the world.  I hope it's geographical distance and removal from hothouses of tabloid media might discourage the paparazzi "vultures" from disrupting the ceremony.  I presume that's where he will be buried as that's where his family lives, correct.

Phelps is the devil incarnate.

[loneleeb3]

why couldn't the Lord have taken him

Things that make you go Hmmmmmmm?

I'm afraid no matter how isolated Perth is, if a plane lands there the vultures will make the trip.

[LauraGigs]

An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of New York City to pay their respects at his funeral, handled by the Frank Campbell Funeral Home. The event was a drama itself: actress Pola Negri collapsed in hysterics while standing over the coffin, windows were smashed as fans tried to get in, and Campbell's hired four actors to impersonate a Fascist Blackshirt honor guard, which claimed to have been sent by Benito Mussolini. It was later revealed as a planned publicity stunt. The New York Graphic printed a ghoulish fake composed photograph on its front cover purporting to show Valentino in his casket, before the body actually reached the funeral home.

Gosh!  I thought distasteful media/public circuses were a relatively contemporary phenomenon...


Anyway, let's pray that his family is left alone, indeed.  They've been through so much already.  (A lady at my office mentioned that his family found out via the news reports. Does anyone know if this is true?)  Ick.

[serious crayons]

Anyway, let's pray that his family is left alone, indeed.  They've been through so much already.  (A lady at my office mentioned that his family found out via the news reports. Does anyone know if this is true?)  Ick.

Yes, I've read that's true.

The media won't leave his family alone, at least not willingly. They only do that for children, sometimes. But maybe the family will get bodyguards or whatever to run interference.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I personally don't think Heath was suicidal, or that he was overdosing on illegal drugs, but I'm afraid it's already in the public consciousness that one or both of those things was the case.

I don't believe he was suicidal, either.  I believe it was an accidental lethal combination of drugs, prescription and possibly otherwise.

It was reported that Heath's mother has flown in from Australia to accompany his body back to Perth.

Is Michelle's mother living, too? It would be nice to know/think that at least for now, little Matilda has two complete sets of grandparents.

[Wishes]

At least that filthy Phelps won't be able to get to Australia. I hope so much the family will have peace while they are going through this. But I too fear the media is going to go where they have to for those pictures to be published in every magazine.