Celebrity News January 30, 2008
Addiction May Have Been at Center of Heath's Problems
As Hollywood continues to mourn Heath Ledger, "Extra" has breaking new details on when and where family and friends will gather to say their final goodbyes.
Several reports say Heath's funeral will be held later this week in the Perth suburb of Midland, not far from the Australian grammar school he attended as a child.
"Extra" has also uncovered new information about the hours leading up to his tragic death.
People says that after returning from the London set of "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," he was seen at several of his regular Big Apple haunts.
Though he had complained of sleepless nights, he seemed normal, walking around the neighborhood with his iPod on and buying coffee. In the days before his death, he even made plans to meet with good friend Deepak Chopra.
Chopra told People, "He was a little depressed about not having seen his daughter over the holidays."
Then, on Jan. 22, Heath was found dead in his Manhattan apartment, prescription pills by his side. A preliminary autopsy report turned up inconclusive, and complete toxicology results won't be in for several more days.
Reports say Heath was crushed over his split with Michelle Williams and how he wasn't able to see their daughter Matilda, 2, as often as he'd like. In addition, Heath's reported drug use may have forced the pair apart. Heath is rumored to have gone so far as traveling to a rehab center to seek treatment in 2006, only to have left without getting out of the car.
So what's next for the devastated Michelle their little girl?
"Michelle will survive," a friend tells the magazine. "She has to for her daughter's sake."
Meanwhile, Heath's "Brokeback Mountain" co-star Jake Gyllenhaal is said to be taking the news very hard.
He's in a daze on the Mexico set of his new movie, "Brothers," and the look on his face reportedly speaks of "major trauma."