In his own words

The death of teen idol and actor Heath Ledger sent shockwaves across the globe. Many were left wondering whether the Australian star had succumbed to the Hollywood story so often seen before: that early success leads these celebrities to turn to illegal substances to cope with the stress.

Just a day after Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on January 22, 2008, rumors surrounding Heath’s premature death and his lifestyle made headlines. It was rumored that Heath was addicted to drugs and had allegedly committed suicide, ruling out the possibility of a natural death.  While it was clear the actor died of an overdose, the most important question remained unanswered: did he kill himself, or was it accidental?

Because the initial autopsy report proved to be inconclusive, the medical examiner at the New York City Medical Center, as well as family, friends, and fans all over the world, had to wait for toxicology and tissue results to determine the cause of his death. In the midst of all the controversies surrounding Ledger’s untimely death, The Guardian quotes a spokeswoman from the New York City Medical as saying: “We have to do further testing including toxicology and tissue testing. Neither cause of death or manner of death has been concluded. We expect additional results in 10 days to two weeks”.

Later, in the final autopsy report released by the New York City Medical office, Heath Ledger was determined to have died of acute intoxication of combination of drugs including oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazapan, alprazolam and doxylamine.

All through the controversies, one person who denied the alleged reports of suicide through drug overdose as the cause of death, was Heath Ledger’s father, Kim Ledger, who told People: “While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath’s accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.”

Putting a fond end note to Heath’s short life his alleged wife and ‘Brokeback Mountain’ co-star Michelle Williams told People Magazine: “My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father … She will be brought up in the best memories of him.”

Heath Ledger, from Perth, Australia, was a rising star in Hollywood. After starring in teen flicks like ’10 Things I Hate About You’ and ‘A Knight’s Tale’, he went on to act in more serious movies. He won a post-humous Academy Award for his role as The Joker in ‘The Dark Knight’.


R.I.P. Heath