Ledger's family back in Aus
2008-02-05 09:42
Perth - The family of Heath Ledger arrived on Tuesday in Australia on their way to the actor's hometown, where he was expected to be finally laid to rest, Australia's national news agency reported.
Australian Associated Press reported that the actor's father, Kim Ledger; mother, Sally Ledger Bell, and sister Kate arrived in the northeastern city of Brisbane from Los Angeles. The report did not cite any source for the information.
Ledger's family live in the western city of Perth, where the actor's body is believed to be headed for burial or cremation.
Ledger died in his New York City apartment on January 22. Authorities suspect a drug overdose, but the cause of his death is still pending the outcome of toxicology tests. Police said several prescription drugs were found in the apartment where the actor's body was found.
Ledger's hometown was preparing for the arrival of his remains, while locals expressed dismay at speculation in the media that the actor had used drugs.
Sadness at sudden death
Details of funeral arrangements for the late co-star of Brokeback Mountain have not been announced, and the mother of his 2-year-old daughter Matilda, actress Michelle Williams, has requested privacy.
The Australian newspaper reported on Monday that Ledger will be buried next to two of his grandparents in a family plot in Perth. Ledger's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, didn't immediately respond to an e-mail from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Residents of this idyllic and isolated city on the southwest corner of Australia expressed sadness at his sudden death - and outrage over rumors that he was a drug user.
"If a person dies, let him go in peace. All this rubbish they bring up about drugs and everything else, I think it's a lot of rubbish," said Margaret Byrne, a 58-year-old catering supervisor at Royal Perth Hospital.
Much of that speculation was fuelled by video footage showing Ledger at a Hollywood hotel party where drugs were being taken two years ago.
Entertainment Tonight decided against airing the footage after a Hollywood publicity firm that represented Ledger mounted a protest that included several A-list stars.
"He was a great star for us. We don't have many stars from here," Byrne said.
"I think it's disgusting how the media has played it out," said Justin Kestel, a 28-year-old travel agency manager who said he played field hockey against Ledger when they attended opposing secondary school teams.
Ledger was a big source of pride for Perth -a metropolis of some 1.3m people that lies one on the edge of Australia's vast Outback and is thousands of kilometres from the nearest major city.
"It's probably the biggest news we've had in Perth in a long time," said Shannon Harvey, film critic at The Sunday Times. "He's probably the highest-profile star who's ever come out of Perth and probably our greatest success story."
- AP