Poll: Your opinion on Jake's silence

[MsMercury]

^^ Exactly. There really isn't a right or wrong way to greive. Everyone does it in their own way. Some people just cannot talk about it. I don't doubt Jake was deeply affected by Heath's passing. So affected that he just can't talk about it.  At least not to the public.

[SFEnnisSF]

Jake is in the May 2010 issue of GQ talking about Heath's death...

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2010/04/13/jake-gyllenhaal-gq-cover-may-2010/

On how Heath’s death affected him: “I don’t really like talking about it. That period of time was…it was difficult. He was very sensitive. He didn’t always have a sense of performance in his everyday life. He knew who he was. I think actors very often, they know how to present something, and that’s part of their job. I think he was just really sensitive. We often used to do a lot of things together, because people were very interested in him and I think we felt safe together. Even when we did Brokeback and stuff, it was like my work was the only thing that mattered to me. It was like I could only understand or define myself through doing that. Life, I didn’t totally understand. And I think I was afraid of life. And I had success in my work, enough success that you could keep going back there. But after that happened…I think I recognized that it was work. And I recognized that this is for real.”

[Front-Ranger]

Very interesting...I don't think he's been able to talk about it up until now.

[ifyoucantfixit]

   I was terribly affected by my brothers death.  Every
one I spoke to, and anyone that asked me about it, made
me start to cry.  That is awfully embaressing and just puts
you right in the same spot that you were when it first happened.
You had rather not talk about it at all, because you don't want
to feel worse than you already do, by discussing it.  He lost
Heath under a very difficult situation.  I lost my brother the way
that left me feeling the same.  Unprepared, is to put it mildly.
He doesn't need to put himself in that situation, in order to satisfy
fan curiosity.  That is all it would be, and the only reason for him
to have to do it.  That is mean of us, to expect him to put himself
through that just so we can feel better.
The justification that others have given.  Others have said different things.   Has no bearing at all on it.  That was them.  This is him.
People need to let him grieve in the way that he feels is right for
him.  To do otherwise is a disrespect to him, and even Heath.  He was a very quiet soul, and didn't like hurting others.  Let alone someone he loved as a dear friend.  After all, when it comes to life or
death, it was just a movie.

[zephaniah]

Mr. Gyllenhall is an actor who was incredibly lucky to have taken part in Brokeback Mountain: it transformed him from an up-and-coming actor into an on-demand bankable star, but that's only one of the most minor reasons that the film was so much more than 'just a movie.'  One only has to read the online comments people have made over the last four years of the transformative changes people have made in their lives as a direct result of Brokeback:  I've lost 60lbs and actually talk with people now, dramatically life-affecting changes which have opened up the world to me, and they were made as a direct result of the impact of Brokeback: and I'm not the only one.
  It's difficult to lose a loved one.  Anyone who has, like me, can sympathize, for what that's worth.  I took care of my parents up until they died, so although I can only know your loss to an extent, I certainly feel for you.  Please accept my sympathy on the loss of your brother.

[Marge_Innavera]

Jake is in the May 2010 issue of GQ talking about Heath's death...

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2010/04/13/jake-gyllenhaal-gq-cover-may-2010/

On how Heath’s death affected him: “I don’t really like talking about it. That period of time was…it was difficult. He was very sensitive. He didn’t always have a sense of performance in his everyday life. He knew who he was. I think actors very often, they know how to present something, and that’s part of their job. I think he was just really sensitive. We often used to do a lot of things together, because people were very interested in him and I think we felt safe together. Even when we did Brokeback and stuff, it was like my work was the only thing that mattered to me. It was like I could only understand or define myself through doing that. Life, I didn’t totally understand. And I think I was afraid of life. And I had success in my work, enough success that you could keep going back there. But after that happened…I think I recognized that it was work. And I recognized that this is for real.”

I hope the people who were outraged a few years ago about Jake not giving us a public show of grief will read that article.