Heath Ledger Found Dead In His Manhattan Apartment

 

OMG, I cannot believe this, I just walked in the door and heard the news that Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment.  It’s unreal, so sad.  Here’s the story straight from PEOPLE as of now.

Heath Ledger was found dead at his Manhattan residence, a police spokesman confirms to the Associated Press. He was 28.

Police say the death may be drug-related. The NYPD spokesman tells AP that Ledger had a massage appointment at his Soho apartment. When the housekeeper went to alert Ledger the masseuse was there, she found him at around 3:26 p.m.

He did not respond when they shook him, and the two called police, The New York Times reports. He was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m.

Authorities later said they did not suspect foul play but that pills were found near the body.

UPDATE:  TMZ is now reporting Heath Ledger was sick with pneumonia when he died today in NY. 

UPDATE #2: Paul Browne, Deputy Commissioner for Public Information of the New York Police Department, held a press conference on Heath Ledger Tuesday night.

He confirmed the following:

• The deceased was discovered by a masseuse and a housekeeper at approximately 2:45 p.m. today.
• The masseuse was there for a regular appointment.
• The deceased was found in his bedroom.
• The deceased was lying on the floor, curled up, at the foot of his bed.
• The deceased was naked and face down.
• There were not pills found scattered around the room as had been previously reported.
• There were some prescription bottles, including prescription sleeping medication, uncovered.
• Police do not know how long the deceased had been in the apartment.
• The deceased was renting the apartment.
• The cause of death has not yet been determined. The determination will be made by the medical examiners office.

Warner Bros. Pictures Group has just issued the following statement to TMZ. The studio is producing the next Batman film, “The Dark Knight.”  Which Heath plays The Joker.

“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.” 

 

This is the most recent known picture of Heath taken on January 19.  It was shot while he was filming his latest movie The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus in London.

And here he is below with his adorable two year old daughter Matilda (with ex Michelle Williams) taken in November.  He will be missed.

inf, Thanks Jeff and Krystin