To all the family who truly knew Mr. Ledger and those he loved,
It has been over a month and I have sat ruminating over the events as they have unfolded since the passing of your loved one. I have been deeply disturbed, shocked and appalled at the overwhelming majority of media coverage and intrusion into your personal lives. I write this, as an apology (although I am in little way responsible) for the brazen, unwarranted flood of utter trash from the media world wide.
I would be a hypocrite to call myself a fan. I have a 5 year old son, so I have been quite busy over the past years when Mr. Ledger's career took off. If he hasn't appeared on Disney Channel, Noggin or Barney, I probably haven't seen him! Although, A Knight's Tale, was certainly not his best known role, my son immediately recognizes any image of Heath Ledger as "my knight". (My son is named William, so he feels a kinship with the character and to him Heath will always be William Thatcher. Maybe not the legacy Heath wanted, but it is poignant to me that my son sees his image and correlates him with the belief "A man can change his stars")
I am however, a fan of humanity and believe Mr. Ledger was a kind and decent man. Until his passing, I was largely unaware at the tactics and lengths the media was going to in their selfish pursuits. It is clear to me they are willing to print lies, speculations and go to inhumane lengths to make a dollar. I am stunned and sickened at how the media and society has taken both Mr. Ledger and Ms. Williams and chronicled (most inaccurately) their lives throughout the past years. I cannot imagine the hell of trying to work, live day to day, and most importantly raise a child in the scrutinizing, manipulating and invasive eyes of the paparazzi. I do believe, we the public, are responsible for the continuation of these practices. As long as we subscribe to the magazines, watch the entertainment shows and visit the tabloid websites, we are promoting this filth.
I do not participate and felt moved to contact several of the publications and TV shows to make them aware of my disgust and to let them know that the public is not interested in this type of coverage. Acting, or any other career that places one in front of the public, in no way, is an agreement to have your personal life laid out before the world. I cannot imagine any person willing to share his/her creative talents with the world, knowing they would have to fend off these vultures.
(I am appreciative of the administrator of this website for creating a place where Mr. Ledger's accomplishments could be celebrated and discussed in a meaningful way, without delving into his private life and the private lives of his family, or speculating about the media trash.)
The first thought I have always had and will continue to have when "Heath Ledger" is mentioned is that he was a great father. His interviews where he mentions his daughter are poignant and filled with a joy that only a parent would know. I faintly remember an interview he conducted right after his daughter was born and I thought "wow, how fabulous that this young man is so in love with his child. She is truly blessed." It is rare to see such sensitivity and devotion expressed in a public forum and was heartwarming.
The class with which you all have handled the media and his passing has been uplifting to me, an honor to him and a gift to his daughter. Ms. Williams' statement was simply the most beautiful sentiment I could have imagined and a testament to her character and dignity. As a mom, I ache at the thought that there exists such garbage and filth in the media for his child to see when she is older. No one should ever be subjected to slanderous gossip and manipulated images, irregardless of their chosen profession. I am so grateful that, at the end of the day, his daughter will see public statements from her family that knew, first hand, of his enormous love and devotion to her. As Ms. Williams stated, it is my hope that his daughter "will be raised with the best memories of him."
My thoughts and prayers will be with you all as you continue to walk through the valley of grief during the coming months. Thank you for showing the world you are persons of great character, strength and love through the public invasion of your very private time. You all have shown enormous dignity.
My hope is that you are blessed each day with beautiful memories and continue to create new ones.