January 23, 2008 -- Oscar-nominated actor Heath Ledger was found naked and dead at the foot of his bed in his SoHo apartment yesterday after he apparently overdosed on anti-anxiety pills.
The 28-year-old star's ex-fiancée, actress Michelle Williams, was flying to New York from Sweden with their 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, her father said.
"It has just broken everybody's heart in my family," Larry Williams, Michelle's dad, told The Daily Telegraph in Australia.
"My heart goes out to everyone, his family, my family, we are just very saddened. The saddest thing is his daughter, whom he just loved dearly."
While some sources said Ledger was depressed, the actor's father, Kim, released a statement declaring his son's death "accidental."
One cop at the scene said it did not appear to be suicide, but police were still investigating, and an autopsy is scheduled for today.
Ledger was found by his maid, Theresa Solomon, 56, and masseuse Diane Lee, 40, with whom he had a scheduled 3 p.m. appointment at his $23,000-a-month, three-bedroom loft at 421 Broome St.
When the two women entered his bedroom at about 3:20 p.m., Ledger was nude, lying face down and unresponsive, police sources said.
Pills were strewn around the bed, and there was a bottle next to the actor's body, police sources said.
The maid and therapist called 911 at 3:26 p.m. Emergency workers were unable to revive the star and he was pronounced dead at 3:35.
Bottles of the generic forms of Xanax and Valium, both anti-anxiety drugs prescribed in his name, were found in the house, according to law-enforcement sources. The sleeping pill Ambien was also found near his body, sources said.
Found on his nightstand, sources said, was a bottle of Donormyl, an antihistamine used as a sleep aid, and a packet of the drug Zopiclone, also used for insomnia.
The maid said she last heard the star snoring around noon.
"We are investigating the possibility of an overdose," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.
"There were pills within the vicinity of the bed."
One police source said "it does not appear to be a suicide."
I feel very sad for Heath and his family! He was, IMHO a great young actor!
R.I.P. Dude!
Posts
