Heath Ledger Remembered At Private Memorial Service In L.A.

Heath Ledger was remembered Saturday at a private memorial service in Los Angeles attended by his family and close friends.

The actor's body left New York City on Friday to begin the long journey back to Australia (via Los Angeles), where he is expected to be laid to rest in his hometown of Perth in the coming days.

His parents and sister Kate were waiting in Los Angeles to meet the body and attend the private memorial in Beverly Hills, along with his ex-fiancée, actress Michelle Williams, and two-year-old daughter Matilda.

Ledger's ex-girlfriend, actress Naomi Watts, who reportedly passed out in the supermarket upon hearing the news of Ledger's passing, was also among the mourners spotted in attendance at the service, according to reports.

Lindsay Lohan was not reported to have attended any services for the late actor, who she once was reported to be casually dating. It is reported that Lohan was seen crying hysterically in public while walking through the streets upon hearing of Ledger's death.

Mary-Kate Olsen's Statement On Heath Ledger's Death

Mary-Kate Olsen finally came forward to share her thoughts on the late actor.

"Heath was a friend," Olsen said in a statement Friday. "His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family during this very difficult time."

Olsen's name has been tied to the mystery of the untimely death of the 28 year old actor, after the New York Police Department reported she likely found out about Ledger's death before 911 was called.

Despite the reported four phone calls made to Olsen before 911 was called, an NYPD spokesperson shot down reports that Fifth Precinct officers and detectives were looking to interview the twin about her connection to the death of Ledger, telling the media that investigators have not and do not plan to question Mary-Kate.

Masny media outlets claimed earlier Friday the police were interested in talking to Olsen after learning the masseuse who discovered Ledger's body made a total of four phone calls to the Weeds star after being unable to rouse the Brokeback Mountain actor. The masseuse placed three of the calls to Olsen before ever dialing 911.

According to officials, 40-year-old massage therapist Diana Wolozin found Ledger unconscious in the SoHo apartment, where he had spent the past five months. Woolzin found his cell phone and began scrolling through his speed dial contacts.

Olsen and Ledger, who initially met in 2006, had casually been dating in the months leading up to the 28-year-old's death.

Wolozin managed to reach Olsen, who was in Los Angeles after returning from a brief stint at the Sundance Film Festival.

Reports have stated Ledger was already dead by the time Wolozin found the body.

Officials are awaiting the results of toxicology and tissue tests in order to determine both a cause and manner of death for the actor. The results are expected back over the next few weeks.

Wolozin, meanwhile, could be facing some serious charges. The New York State Department of Education confirms that she is not a licensed masseuse, which under state law is a health profession. A department spokesperson says the NYPD has been notified. Wolozin could potentially be hit with a felony; however, neither the police or district attorney has yet moved to file charges.

Details Regarding The Tragic And Untimely Death Of Actor Heath Ledger

More details have surfaced since first reporting the tragic death of Australian-born Hollywood superstar actor Heath Ledger. As reported previously, Ledger was found dead in his fourth-floor apartment at 421 Broome Street in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City.

According to police, housekeeper Teresa Solomon had arrived at approximately 12:30 p.m. EST to do household chores, entered the bedroom at about 1 p.m. to change a light bulb in the adjacent bathroom, and found Ledger face down on the bed, with a sheet pulled to his shoulders, and snoring. Masseuse Diana Wolozin arrived at approximately 2:45 p.m. to give Ledger a massage, and when he did not emerge by 3 p.m., called his cell phone and received no answer. Wolozin entered the bedroom, began to set up the massage table, and tried to awaken the unresponsive Ledger. Wolozin called actress Mary-Kate Olsen, a close friend of Ledger's whose number was programmed in Ledger's cell phone. Mary-Kate Olsen replied she would have members of her security firm go to the apartment. After again attempting to awaken Ledger, Wolozin called Olsen again, and at 3:26 p.m. called 9-1-1 Medical workers moved Ledger to the floor, used a defibrillator and CPR, and pronounced Ledger dead at 3:36 p.m.

Police said they found prescription medication in the bathroom and that there were "no obvious signs" of suicide, nor did they suspect foul play.
As also reported yesterday, an initial autopsy on January 23 proved inconclusive at determining Ledger's cause of death. The New York City medical examiner's office stated it will take about 10 days to complete the investigation, which will include a toxicology report.

Yesterday Ledger's parents and sister appeared outside his mother's home and read a short statement to the media:

We, Heath's family, confirm the very tragic, untimely and accidental passing of our dearly loved son, brother and doting father of Matilda, who was found in a peaceful sleep in his New York apartment by his housekeeper at 3:30pm (New York Time). We would like to thank our friends and everyone around the world for their kind wishes at this time. Heath has touched so many people on so many different levels during his short life, but few had the pleasure to truly know him. He was a down-to-earth, generous, kind-hearted, life-loving and unselfish individual who was an extreme inspiration to many. Please now respect our family's need to grieve and come to terms with our loss privately

In reaction to his death, actress Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek, Halloween H20, Brokeback Mountain) who was Ledger's former fiancee and mother of his daughter, was reported as saying that she was "devastated" at the loss and had boarded a plane from Trollhättan, Sweden where she was filming a movie, back to her Brooklyn apartment she once shared with Ledger in New York City with their daughter, Matilda. Michelle Williams is reported to be "in her own world" right now.

Ledger's ex-girlfriend, Naomi Watts, has cancelled all her media appearances. The Australian actress was at Sundance to promote a new film.

Production on Heath's most recent film, the Terri Gilliam-directed The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, has been shut down.

Warner Bros., who are releasing the next Batman movie with Ledger as the Joker, says,

"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."

Model Helena Christensen (known famously for her apperance in the 1990's music video for Chris Issak's hit song "Wicked Game") has revealed to Women's Wear Daily:

"I was on my way over to pay him a visit when I found out," she says. "I had just left him a message and heard his voice on the machine. He was such a special and genuine person, so extraordinarily talented because he was so raw and honest with his feelings. He was so full of life, so electric."

Heath Ledger was 28 years old.

Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead In His NYC Apartment

Actor Heath Ledger, best known for his Oscar nominated performance in the 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain", was found dead in his downtown NYC apartment in the SoHo section of Manhattan on Broome Street yesterday afternoon at about 2:45pm. Ledger's naked body was found face down in his apartment by a masseuse.

Speculation suggests that the prescription drugs Xanax, Valium and Ambien were all found at the scene, prescribed in the late actor's name. It has also been speculated that a rolled up 20 dollar bill was also found at the late actor's bedside, but no illegal drugs were found in the residence.

Today's preliminary autopsy report on the late actor was found to be inconclusive.

Heath Ledger
1979-2008

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Britney Spears Update

As if the rest of the world already did not know, pop singer Britney Spears had a custody related breakdown on January 3 at her California home, which included barricading herself and her youngest son Jayden James in a walk in closet, a 3 hour police standoff and resulted in Spears being forcibly removed by police and paramedics with her legs strapped to a gurney under a 5150 medical hold for psychiatric evaluation (she spent about 34 of the maximum 72 hours in total under evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center).

This episode also resulted in Britney losing visitation as well as custody of her two children.

Britney and her attorneys are due in court today to answer to Judge Scott Gordon in this matter.