Few women in Hollywood tug at our heartstrings the way Michelle Williams does. The actress, who lost partner Heath Ledger nearly a year ago and is now left to raise her daughter on her own, doesn't ask for attention and seems to be one of the few genuinely good people left in the business. Her grief is tragic, and she still brings tears to our eyes when discussing her love:
Williams is jovial and chatty, until the conversation turns to Heath. You can see it's still difficult for her to talk about him, and she hasn't done so publicly until now. The first time Ledger's name comes up, she bursts into tears. 'It's so sad,' Williams says. When she's asked about how she's been doing in the past year, she's silent for a very long time. 'I guess it's always changing,' she says. There's another pause. 'What else can I say?' Her voice is breathy and fragile, and she takes a few gulps of air. 'I just wake up each day in a slightly different place—grief is like a moving river, so that's what I mean by "it's always changing."' She stops again. 'It's a strange thing to say'—her words unravel slowly, her eyes tear up—'because I'm at heart an optimistic person, but I would say in some ways it just gets worse. It's just that the more time that passes, the more you miss someone. In some ways it gets worse. That's what I would say.'
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• Who wants to look like Victoria Beckham? Anyone? … Anyone? [ICYDK]
• What cats do while their owners are sleeping. [CityRag]
• Britney Spears doesn't have to shave her armpits, but she also doesn't have to raise her arms over her head in front of photographers. [Yeeeah]
• The Brangelina army will be adding more soldiers in the near future. [DListed]
• Heath Ledger's ex Michelle Williams steps out with her new boyfriend, Spike Jonze. Good for her. [INO]
• Audrina Patridge seems to have forgiven ex Justin Bobby for "hooking up" (but not really) with her former BFF Lauren Conrad. Naturally, she's still pissed at LC. [PS]
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Despite many rumors to the contrary, Matilda Ledger, Heath's daughter, will be receiving most if not all of her late father's $16 million estate. Heath's dad, Kim Ledger, the executor of his son's will, said today that he and his wife are gifting all of Heath's money to Matilda, killing scuttlebutt that claimed Kim might possibly squander the millions before his granddaughter turned 18.
In related news, the bar in which Heath invested before he passed finally opened about a block away from my apartment. It's constantly overrun with hipsters, one of whom works there and, according to my roommate, looks exactly like me from behind. I go there sometimes, too. I hope my scotch money does Matlida well 15 years from now.
NICE GUYS "In an act of kindness, actors Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell have donated the money they made for completing Heath Ledger's final film role to the late actor's daughter Matilda … The three actors played versions of Ledger's character, 'Tim,' in the film 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus.' The stars were reportedly concerned with the fate of Matilda's future because Ledger had not updated his will at the time of his death to include his two-year-old daughter in it. So, they decided the money they made for filming should go to her … "
New York City's Upright Citizen's Brigade theater hosted a 72-hour improv comedy marathon over the weekend, so it's not surprising that the jokes eventually turned to Heath Ledger, Estelle Getty and Bernie Mac's recent deaths. But guest panelist Brooke Shields was evidently caught off guard:
She was so freaked out, her eyes welled up, and she actually bit her nails at one point. When someone pretended to dump Estelle Getty's ashes on [30 Rock star] Jack McBrayer's head, Brooke got up and walked offstage. She watched the rest of the show from behind a curtain backstage, with a grimace.
We're assuming Brooke had never before attended a UCBT performance — and it's doubtful she'll ever return.
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Mary-Kate Olsen has one less thing to worry about: She's officially off the hook in the investigation of Heath Ledger's death because the case is closed. Apparently the Drug Enforcement Administration was on a witch hunt that infuriated the NYPD for attempting to control an otherwise simple case. The US Attorney's office agreed and shut down the "bogus investigation" into an accidental death with no hint of criminality.
We know the DEA went all over the country, in one case tracking down a guy in California who smoked a joint with Ledger in the '90s, telling him he had to testify in a Grand Jury probe. And how's this for chutzpah … the DEA told the guy he would have to pay his own way to NYC to testify before the Grand Jury!
Can this all be over now?
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Looks like authorities are making good on their promise to make Mary-Kate Olsen talk about Heath Ledger's death: According to Access Hollywood, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has issued a subpoena forcing the twin to testify in front of a grand jury.
It seems the government isn't pleased the information (or lack thereof) provided by MK, despite her rep's insistence otherwise. And, although she's refusing to speak without being granted immunity, some legal authority insists it's simply good legal advice — not an admission of guilt:
You don’t know what the DEA may suspect in this case and I think it’s a cautious way to proceed. I think it would be wrong to assume she’s done something criminal simply because she’s invoking her Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination.
But let's look at the facts, shall we? The twin is no stranger to funny business, she was the first one contacted upon the masseuse's discovery of Heath's body, and she's the only person refusing to cooperate with the investigation. Sure, she may have nothing to hide, but that's beside the point — she's now guilty in the public eye. Which, if you're a celebrity, is almost just as exhausting.
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Looks like Mary-Kate Olsen's getting a little defensive in light of reports that she refuses to speak to authorities investigating Heath Ledger's death without the promise of immunity. Her rep issued this statement:
Despite tabloid speculation, Mary-Kate Olsen had nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger's home or his body, and she does not know where he obtained them.
OK, great. Don't tell us, tell the investigators. And if you truly don't know anything, why ask for immunity?
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Over six months after Heath Ledger's untimely death, federal investigators are still looking into the circumstances surrounding Mary-Kate Olsen's involvement. And, in what is an obvious admission that she's hiding something, the trollish twin has reportedly refused to be interviewed by investigators unless she receives immunity from prosecution. She is the only person who has refused to speak to officials, who are considering obtaining a grand-jury subpoena to force her to talk.
She's likely hiding information about where he got the OxyContin that was later found in his system, but the fact that she's refusing to speak is just making her look even guiltier. Nicely done, MK.
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LA Times writer Eric P. Lucas has had enough of the Heath Ledger hype and wrote a strongly-worded article to argue otherwise. Except instead of convincing everyone that the Oscar buzz is unnecessary, he makes the fatal mistake of insulting Heath and sending his diehard fans into an angry frenzy.
Each year more than 100,000 Americans die of alcohol or drug abuse. It would be madness to commemorate one such death with the greatest honor in cinema. Please give the Academy Award to someone who's had the courage to stick around.
But Lucas isn't just angry at Heath for his extracurricular activities: He simply thinks the Joker's performance isn't Oscar-worthy, labeled as "a can-can dance of snuffling pseudo-psychopathia" that has "all the subtlety of a hangover." Lucas says it's exactly what he'd expect from "someone who headed home every night to a pill party."
The entire article is filled with harsh words, but there's no real substance. So Eric wasn't that impressed by Heath's performance — millions of others were, and not just because he died. The hype began before his death. And, for the record, fans are allowed to be sad by Heath's untimely end, whether it was his fault or not. To imply otherwise is ridiculous and a cry for attention.
Late actor Heath Ledger knew exactly how psycho he needed to be to play the Joker.
During the filming of The Dark Knight Heath Ledger kept a notebook to help him get in character, detailing all the things that he felt the Joker would find funny.
And what was the first entry?
In what should come as a shock to absolutely no one, PETA announced that it is upset with The Dark Knight because of a short scene in which Batman beats a few dogs in self-defense. PETA obviously has nothing better to complain about.
But to really show Batman the error of his ways, the animal rights organization removed him from its list of Top 10 Animal-Friendly Superheroes. Ouch. There's also some great lines in the rant: "They didn't need to make Batman into a dogphobic man!" True poetry. Then PETA asks, "Doesn't the man with the James Bond gadgets know anything about peanut butter treats and deflecting devices?" Um, PETA? Did you even see the movie or are you simply unaware of how dumb you sound?
Click through for the complete inanity. CONTINUED »
No surprise here: The Dark Knight raked in over $155 million this weekend and broke a bunch of box office records. The latest Batman movie also became my latest obsession (see also: Jason Castro), inspiring me to see it twice in under 48 hours.
For those of you who saw it, click through for my favorite moments from the film and then feel free to add your own. (SPOILER ALERT, obviously) CONTINUED »
That's what Warner Brothers are saying, but they'll do anything to publicise their film … That's just what they do and you can't get upset because it's bullshit. They're like a great white shark which devours whatever it can.
-Terry Gilliam, who had been directing Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus before the actor died, on talk that Ledger deserves an Oscar for his Dark Knight performance
LEDGER OSCAR A 'WISH-FULFILLMENT RUMOR' "When the new Batman movie 'The Dark Night' began screenings last month before its U.S. debut on Friday, some moviegoers saw Heath Ledger as an instant Oscar candidate as the deranged villain, The Joker. But Oscar watchers and veteran critics say the joke may be on fans creating mostly Internet-based buzz … 'Dark Knight' is the type of comic book, action adventure that Oscar voters generally do not favor and there are many movies to see later this year, the experts said. 'All this Oscar talk is a phenomenon of the Internet age that I like to call 'a wish-fulfillment rumor.' If people say it often enough, they think it will happen,' said Leonard Maltin, film critic for TV program 'Entertainment Tonight.'"
I never thought I'd say this, and I'm probably alone here, but I've grown a soft spot in my heart for Verne Troyer. He seems to be getting the raw end of the deal with this disgusting sex tape scandal, and to add insult to injury, he's still sharing a house with his ex-girlfriend who sold the tape to TMZ in the first place.
'She's still in the house,' Troyer said, noting that he’s taking legal action to force her out, but their situation 'makes it even harder, to, you know, not strangle her.' According to the actor, his brunette ex has been taunting him. 'I saw her when I left today, and she was calling me names and stuff…so I can't get away from it,' he said, choking back tears.
Troyer said friends, family and attorney are helping him pull through the mess, but that the embarrassment 'has already started affecting [work opportunities].'
But the real "aww" factor came into play when Verne shared my favorite Heath Ledger on-set story to date. CONTINUED »
Arriving in our mailbox this morning was this reminder that, exactly six months ago today, an actor who was not Heath Ledger died:
Hello! :)
I am a huge fan of the late Brad Renfro. Today, Tuesday, July 15th, marks 6 months since Brad's untimely passing. Is there anyway that you could mention something in honor of Brad on the anniversary of his death? This is a significant and sad day for Brad's family, friends, and fans who loved him dearly, and as a fan, I think it would be so nice to see someone in the media actually pay respect to him on this day of remembrance.
And we were totally ready to whip up a couple lines of copy noting Renfro's half death-day … until we got to the second paragraph of the email:
HOLY BAD REVIEWS, BATMAN! "Even if the death of Heath Ledger hadn’t already draped it in a funeral shroud, The Dark Knight would be a morbid affair: It could only be darker if Batman died. (He does die a little, on the inside.) … We’re now in a modern, untransformed Manhattan, where the Joker’s opening bank heist unfolds in a tense, realistic style with multiple point-blank shootings. It’s a shock—and very effective—to see a comic-book villain come on like a Quentin Tarantino reservoir dog. But then the novelty wears off and the lack of imagination, visual and otherwise, turns into a drag. The Dark Knight is noisy, jumbled, and sadistic. Even its most wondrous vision—Batman’s plunges from skyscrapers, bat-wings snapping open as he glides through the night like a human kite—can’t keep the movie airborne. There’s an anvil attached to that cape."
Editor
