Heath Ledger - News Accounts

[MaineWriter]

From the Associated Press, by way of the New York Times:

January 25, 2008

NYPD: 4 Calls to Olsen Instead of 911

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 7:02 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- The massage therapist's first call on finding a lifeless Heath Ledger wasn't to 911. Nor was her second. Nor her third, police said.

A day before a Friday private viewing for the 28-year-old actor, police said the masseuse spent nine minutes repeatedly ringing ''Full House'' actress Mary-Kate Olsen before calling authorities for help.

The masseuse called Olsen a fourth time after paramedics arrived -- at the same time as Olsen's security guards.

The details emerged as Ledger's family made plans to bury the star of ''Brokeback Mountain.'' The viewing was scheduled at the Frank E. Campbell funeral home in Manhattan, and Ledger's family was flying to the U.S. from his native Australia.

Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said Thursday that no details about the actor's funeral would be shared with the media.

Ledger's family apparently placed a death notice that appeared Friday in The West Australian, a newspaper based in his hometown of Perth, remembering him as ''the most amazing 'old soul' in a young man's body.''

''As a close knit and very private family we have observed you so determined yet quietly traveling in your self-styled path in life,'' said the notice, which the newspaper said had been submitted by Ledger's relatives. ''Our hearts are broken.''

Authorities believe Ledger was already dead while his masseuse was dialing Olsen, with the first three calls ranging from 21 seconds to more than a minute and a half. The details about the calls do not have any significant bearing on an investigation that has ruled out foul play, but they paint a more precise picture of the bizarre series of events surrounding Ledger's death.

The cause of death will not be answered for at least a week, after medical examiners complete toxicology tests. Authorities suspect a possible overdose, but nothing conclusive has been determined. Several prescription drugs were found in the Manhattan apartment where Ledger's body was found.

Police originally said the masseuse made two calls seeking Olsen's advice about what to do, but they revised it to four after taking a closer look at Ledger's phone records. The masseuse, Diana Wolozin, apparently knew both Ledger and Olsen and knew they were friends; all the calls were made from Ledger's cell phone, police said.

At 1 p.m. Tuesday, Ledger's housekeeper went into his bedroom to change a light bulb, saw him sleeping and heard what she thought was snoring. The masseuse showed up for Ledger's massage appointment at about 2:45 p.m., knocked on his door and called his cell phone at 3 p.m. to wake him up., police said.

After setting up her massage table, she tried to wake Ledger and realized something was wrong.

That was when events took a strange turn.

At 3:17 p.m., she made a call to the Olsen twin that lasted 49 seconds. At 3:20 p.m., she made another call, lasting 1 minute and 39 seconds. At 3:24 p.m., another call to Olsen. That one lasted 21 seconds.

Then, at 3:26 p.m., Wolozin called 911.

At some point during the frenzy, Olsen, who was in California, summoned her personal security guards to the apartment to help with the situation, the New York Police Department said.

Paramedics arrived at 3:33 p.m. and actually went up in the elevator to the apartment with Olsen's security guards. Paramedics did not allow the security guards into the bedroom where Ledger died, and they declared him dead at 3:36 p.m. -- 19 minutes after the first call to Olsen.

The masseuse called Olsen a final time at 3:34 p.m. The duration of that call was unknown.

Ledger told The New York Times in November that his recent work on the films ''The Dark Knight'' and ''I'm Not There'' had been stressful, and that he was struggling with sleeplessness and had taken the sleeping pill Ambien.

Ledger received an Oscar nomination for his role as a gay cowboy in 2005's ''Brokeback Mountain,'' one of several acclaimed for the actor in recent years. He plays the Joker in the Batman flick ''The Dark Knight,'' set to come out later this year.

Before moving to Manhattan, Ledger lived with then-girlfriend Michelle Williams in Brooklyn. Ledger split last year with Williams, who played his wife in ''Brokeback.'' The two had a daughter, 2-year-old Matilda.

Williams and Matilda returned to their Brooklyn home Wednesday evening from Sweden. The 27-year-old actress had been there shooting scenes for the upcoming film ''Mammoth,'' said Martin Stromberg, a spokesman for film production company Memfis Film.

------

Associated Press Writers Clare Trapasso and Verena Dobnik contributed to this report.

[MaineWriter]

From the West Australian newspaper:


Ledger's family struggles with loss

25th January 2008, 14:05 WST

Heath Ledger was an "old soul" in a young man's body, his grieving family says.

And his legacy would be his two-year-old daughter Matilda, the 28-year-old actor's family said in a newspaper death notice.

"How do we describe our sudden and tragic loss," the family said of the acclaimed Perth-born actor's death in a New York apartment.

"You were the most amazing 'old soul' in a young man's body.

"As a close knit and very private family we have observed you so determined yet quietly travelling in your self-styled path in life, nothing would get in your way ... no mountain too tall, no river too wide.

"You dreamed your dreams and lived them with passion and intelligent commitment.

"We have been privileged to accompany you on a ride through life that has simply been amazing and through it all we have loved each other beyond imagination."

Ledger's family said his true legacy would be his daughter with actor Michelle Williams, from whom he split last year.

"Our hearts are broken..."

In a separate notice, Ledger's father Kim wrote: "Heatho, Beef ... my beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent ... so no more chess games mate ... this is it, couldn't beat you anyway.

"We were one, in soul and commitment, just ... father and son."

The actor's sister Kate said she could "hardly breathe" as she tried to write her tribute.

"We were the ultimate soul mates," she said.

"You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother.

"You will never leave my thoughts, 'Roast', ever."

Ledger's mother Sally Ledger-Bell said the family would always be there for his daughter.

Other family members, friends and Ledger's old school, Guildford Grammar School, also paid tribute to the actor.

His immediate family will attend a memorial service for the actor in the United States, a family friend says.

Perth Model Sophie Ward says the family will fly to Los Angeles for the service, to be held before his body is returned to Perth for burial, The West Australian reports.

[MaineWriter]

From the West Australian newspaper:

Ledger to be buried in Perth: US reports

25th January 2008, 13:48 WST

Hollywood celebrities will gather to farewell Heath Ledger at a memorial service in the United States, but his body is expected to be brought home for burial in his home town of Perth.

The Australian actor's distraught parents, along with his sister, are due to arrive in New York tomorrow to finalise funeral arrangements for their accomplished son.

The family is expected to lay him to rest in Perth, with his father Kim Ledger said to be planning the sad journey home with his son's body.

"I just want to be with my son. I will be with my son," he told funeral home officials in discussing the arrangements, The New York Post reported.

There is broad speculation that a memorial service for the 28-year-old star - who died in his New York apartment on Tuesday from a possible accidental drug overdose - will be held Los Angeles.

Some of Hollywood's biggest names are expected to join his parents at the event, in a measure of the respect Ledger had earned for the depth of his work.

Perth model Sophie Ward, whose sister supermodel Gemma Ward dated Ledger last year, said she believed the memorial service would be held in Los Angeles.

She told The West Australian that it would be a service only and that "he'll probably be buried in Perth".

New details have emerged about the chaotic scenes that led to ambulance officers finally being called to Ledger's New York apartment on Tuesday afternoon, after he was found in bed and could not be roused.

New York police revealed the masseuse who found Ledger unresponsive in his bedroom spent nine minutes using his mobile phone to make three calls to the actor's celebrity friend Mary-Kate Olsen before she dialled emergency authorities for help.

Diana Wolozin also called the Full House actress a fourth time after paramedics arrived.

Police originally said she made two calls to Olsen, seeking help about what to do, after she found him cold to the touch.

But the revelation of the minutes spent on the phone to Olsen do not have any significant bearing on the police investigation, because authorities believe Ledger was already dead.

Test results due back early next month are expected to show if Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose, after six types of prescription drugs, including pills for anxiety and insomnia, were found in his home.

Ledger's Perth-based uncle, Mike Ledger, said he did not expect the actor's parents to stay long in the US, saying they'd be back in Perth "shortly".

Mike Ledger and another uncle Haydn Ledger who also lives in Perth again dismissed any suggestion their famous nephew may have taken his own life.

"No. Not possible," Mike Ledger said during a live cross with the US network CBS. "No, we know Heath well enough to know."

Haydn agreed.

"It's certainly, as far as we are concerned, it was a tragic accidental death," he said.

They would not answer when asked if Ledger had been suffering from depression, saying Ledger's parents were better placed to comment on that.

But they paid tribute to Ledger's larrikin traits, and praised him as a loving father to two-year-old Matilda, the daughter he had with US actress Michelle Williams.

Matilda was "everything in the world" to Ledger, Mike Ledger said.

"... we know Heath would have wanted to be around her forever. She meant everything to him," he said.

George Amado, the general manager of Manhattan's Frank E Campbell funeral home, confirmed that funeral arrangements had been made, but would not reveal any details.

"The family doesn't want us to give out any information," Amado said.

[MaineWriter]

From the Herald Sun, in Australia:

Staff writers

January 25, 2008 12:20pm

HEATH Ledger's heartbroken family has tried to describe in words the devastating loss of their beloved son, brother and uncle.

Two columns of death notices in today's West Australian newspaper begin with "How do we describe our sudden and tragic loss? ... '' , the PerthNow  website reports.

The family paid tribute to "Heatho'', "Beef'' and "Roast'' - pet names for the actor who died suddenly in New York on Wednesday - saying "there will never, ever be another Heath''.

Elder sister Kate wrote: "I can hardly breathe when I try to write this . . . we were the ultimate in soul mates. I feel both my heart and life have been torn apart. I loved our special talks, our daily chats from where ever you were in the world.

"I especially loved all the precious time we spent together. We were so fortunate to have you as long as we did. You were so many things to so many people, but to me you were just my little brother.

"There will never, ever be another "Heath'' and I think that in itself is the greatest tragedy.

"I will continue to talk with you everyday and love you just as if you were here. You will never leave my thoughts "Roast'', ever.''

A tribute from all members of Heath's immediate family said: "How do we describe our sudden and tragic loss? ... You were the most amazing individual "old soul" in a young man's body."

Ledger's father Kim added: "Heatho'', "Beef'', . . . my beautiful boy, so loving, so talented, so independent, so caring, so young . . . no more chess games mate . . . this is it, couldn't beat you anyway!

[Jeff Wrangler]

Thanks for these reports, Leslie.

[MaineWriter]

Thanks for these reports, Leslie.

Thanks, Jeff. I hope folks find them helpful.

L

[Jeff Wrangler]

Thanks, Jeff. I hope folks find them helpful.

L

I sure do.

I've been wondering how the Australian press would treat him, and the funeral, now. I seem to remember that between Brokeback and Candy, they gave him a pretty hard time in the past.

Still seems unreal, doesn't it?

[Lumière]

Thanks, Jeff. I hope folks find them helpful.

L

Indeed they are.  Thanks.


~M

[serious crayons]

Yes, thanks Leslie. Your posts really help me keep up with things.

I think I might disagree with this:

Outside the funeral home, the police stood watch in anticipation of crowds. Their mission was to prevent anything approaching the turmoil that surrounded the funeral of a far more famous movie star, Rudolph Valentino, in the Roaring Twenties. Thirty thousand fans swarmed the funeral home, then on the Upper West Side, hoping for a last glimpse of the matinee idol. In the chaos, more than 100 people were injured.

Rudolph Valentino was famous and popular because he was THE heartthrob of his day. There were only a handful of movie stars back then, period. You could list them: Valentino, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Pola Negri, Lillian Gish, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Fatty Arbuckle (until he was brought down by scandal) ... and maybe a few others.

But "far more famous"? Maybe not, in the age of celebrity culture, global film distribution, the internet, People Magazine and its ilk, tabloids, ET, EW, E! and all of their ilk, movie stars gracing every magazine cover on the racks, etc., etc., etc. ...

Anybody who knew anything at all about movies back then knew Rudolph Valentino, whereas there are probably people now who, before this week, wouldn't have known Heath from Christian Bale or Orlando Bloom. But I would guess Heath is far more widely known.

Back when I was about 12, I was a Valentinophile (Valentinohaalic?). Yes, I know, I was kind of a strange girl.

[opinionista]

Anderson Cooper Says No to Heath Ledger Coverage
Fri, 25 January 2008 at 9:01 am

CNN host Anderson Cooper set his foot down last night, refusing to cover the death of Heath Ledger until hard facts and new evidence turns up. Here’s what he had to say on the 360 blog:

“For the last two nights we have reported on actor Heath Ledger. His shocking death is clearly a story a lot of people are interested in, but tonight we will not be reporting more on it. The truth is there is not really anything new to report.

The full results of the various tests done on Mr. Ledger will not be ready for perhaps a few weeks and there is very little new information. I have no doubt other networks will spend a lot of time tonight discussing his death and the various rumors about what might have caused it, but I am not a fan of speculation, so unless there is something really new to discuss we probably won’t be covering it anymore anytime soon.”

Star Jones also wrote a similar piece about Heath on HuffingtonPost.com.

Says Star, “Might I suggest that we in the media, instead of reporting on the dead based on gossip, rumor, innuendo and anonymous sources, choose to honor this man’s memory based on his talent and the good taste we all should be exercising. My heart goes out to the family of Heath Ledger.”

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/01/25/anderson-cooper-heath-ledger/