Heath's family face media glare

2008-02-06 11:45

Min Lee

Perth - Heath Ledger's family stayed out of the public eye on Wednesday ahead of the expected announcement in the United States of the cause of the actor's death last month.

Ledger's parents and other close relatives arrived on Tuesday in their hometown of Perth, Australia, after spending nearly two weeks in the US immediately following his death.

Family members attended a memorial ceremony in Los Angeles at the weekend, but have kept funeral arrangements a closely guarded secret.

They are reportedly planning a private service in Perth and will either bury his body or inter his cremated remains in the city.

Ledger's father, Kim, and other family members have evaded scores of photographers since their arrival.

At the house of his mother, Sally Ledger Bell, in suburban Perth, a handful of young people arrived and left on Wednesday, without speaking to reporters waiting outside.

There was no indication that Ledger's remains have arrived in Australia. There was no sign of activity at the family's plot in Karrakatta Cemetery.

Ledger, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Brokeback Mountain, died in his New York City apartment on January 22. He was 28.

Toxicology tests still pending

Authorities suspect a drug overdose, but toxicology tests are still pending. Police said several prescription drugs were found in the apartment where his body was found.

The New York Chief Medical Examiner's Office is expected to comment this week on the cause of Ledger's death, after the results of toxicology tests are received.

Mara Buxbaum, Ledger's US-based publicist, has said the family wants to keep funeral arrangements private, and Michelle Williams, the mother of his 2-year-old daughter Matilda, has requested privacy for those in mourning.

Williams, Matilda, and Ledger's Brokeback Mountain co-star Jake Gyllenhaal plan to attend the funeral, according to local media reports.

As Ledger's hometown prepared for his funeral, residents of the idyllic and isolated city in the southwest corner of Australia expressed sadness at his sudden death - and outrage at rumours that he was a drug user.

Much of that speculation was fuelled by video footage showing Ledger at a Hollywood hotel party where drugs were being taken two years ago.

Ledger was a source of pride for Perth - a metropolis of about 1.3 million people that lies on the edge of Australia's vast Outback and is thousands of kilometres from the nearest major city.

- AP