The world was left in shock when actor Heath Ledger, famous for his role as the Joker in Batman and star of Brokeback Mountain, died of suicide at the age of 28. His daughter, Matilda, was only two years old at the time, but she didn’t receive any of his money. In fact, she was left out of his will for one devastating reason.
In 2008, Australian actor Heath Ledger was at the top of his career. Following his many praised and versatile roles, not least starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Brokeback Mountain and as the Joker in Christoper Nolan’s Batman trilogy, he had developed into a major Hollywood star.
However, in private, things were different. Heath Ledger lived a life of internal battles, and it overcame his will to live. On January 22, 2008, he took his own life in his Manhattan apartment.
A housekeeper found the actor’s dead body in the afternoon, where he was lying in bed with a bottle of sleeping pills nearby, police said. The housekeeper had been looking for Ledger to let him know his masseuse had arrived when they found him.
In a statement, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office said, “We have concluded that the manner of death is accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications.”
Heath Ledger left daughter out of will for devastating reason
Heath Ledger’s father, Kim, issued a statement that the police findings “out an end to the speculation:” Moreover, he said his son’s death served “as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage”.
“While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy,” Kim Ledger said.
After his death, Heath Ledger received an Academy Award for his performance as the Joker in Batman. Meanwhile, as the family was mourning, he also left his 2-year-old daughter, Mathilda, without a father.
Heath Ledger and actress Michelle Williams met while filming Brokeback Mountain. They got engaged, and in October 2005, they had a daughter, Matilda Rose. Sadly, their relationship didn’t last. For months before his death, they broke up.
When Ledger died at 28, it was natural to believe that Matilda would inherit at least part of his estate, valued at around $20 million at the time. However, she didn’t receive a penny, which was heartbreaking.’
According to reports, Heath Ledger had written his will in 2003, two years before Matilda was born, and never made any changes. When he died, his father, Kim Ledger, became the administrator of his estate. He assured that Matilda Rose would be “taken care of.”
Matilda Rose was gifted the entire state of her father
“Matilda is an absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family,” Heath’s father, Kim, told People Magazine in March 2008. “They will be taken care of and that’s how Heath would want it to be.”
“Our family has gifted everything to Matilda,” he added. “That was the plan from the moment my boy passed away. There was never any question about the fact that Heath’s estate would go to Matilda. Never a question. We are very close to Michelle and Matilda.”
However, everything took a turn for the worse. Heath Ledger’s uncle claimed he had been removed from his role as executor following allegations of serious mismanagement of the estate.
However, things worked out in the end, as the family decided to gift the entire estate to Matilda and place it in trust for the young child.
Today, Matilda Rose is 20 years old. She enjoys a life outside the spotlight and is rarely pictured. Still, the lasting memory of her beloved actor father lives on and will do so for many years to come.
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