Liberto's Web Journal

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UPDATE, August 2008:
"Mary-Kate Olsen Subpoenaed By DEA In Heath Ledger Investigation: Report"
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This afternoon, an article posted at AFP.google.com read:

Both the New York Times and TMZ quoted officials as saying pills were found near the body, but gave no further details.

According to the newspaper, the apartment was inhabited by actor Mary-Kate Olsen.

But as of 23 Jan, 7:15am UTC/GMT, that same article now reads only:

Ledger was found dead at 3:26 pm (2036 GMT) Tuesday in an apartment in the posh district of SoHo, a New York police spokesman said. Neighbors said Ledger had been renting the SoHo loft apartment for the past several months.

And per the New York Times {"Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28";http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/23/movies/23ledger.html?em&ex=1201150800&en=8c0618a3ae25a574&ei=5087%0A , as of 6:15am):

The police said Mr. Ledger, 28, was found naked on the floor near the bed in an apartment in SoHo that he had been renting. The chief police spokesman, Paul J. Browne, said the police did not suspect foul play.

“There was no indication of a disturbance,” he said, adding that there were no signs that Mr. Ledger had been drinking. Nor were any illegal drugs found in the loft, which takes up the entire fourth floor. Neighbors said Mr. Ledger had occupied it for several months.

Police officials said that a bottle of prescription sleeping pills was found on a nearby night table, but that they did not know whether the pills had anything to do with Mr. Ledger’s death. Officers who checked the apartment found other prescription medications in the bathroom. A spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office said an autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday.

Mr. Browne said no obvious indication of suicide, like a note, was found in the [apartment].

So was the Mary Kate-Olson connection a web hack? A rumor? Truth now covered up?

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UPDATE: The Olson Twins Connection

The website TMZ.com now has a blog post {http://www.tmz.com/2008/01/22/how-heaths-body-was-discovered/} that explains how the Mary-Kate Olson / Olson Twins rumor got started:

The Olsen twins' connection to Heath Ledger's apartment is now clear. Here's the way it went down. A cleaning lady for Heath arrived at the apartment first, followed soon thereafter by a masseuse. They both entered the room at around the same time and discovered Heath's lifeless body.

The cleaning lady called police. The masseuse, we're told, called the bodyguard for the Olsens. She called him because they're friends and he's an EMT. The bodyguard was around the block at Ashley's and he immediately went over. By the time he arrived, the cops were already there.

Other sites, such as PageSix.com ("Heath's Antidepressants and Ambien" as of 8:50 UTC), are reporting that "The masseuse, who also works with Mary-Kate, called the actress and asked her what to do." But TMZ.com seems to be the definitive news source for this story.

... Incidently, TMZ is now reporting that "Heath was ill with pneumonia when he died."

Of course, all this could be "damage control", if you're the sort of person who is naturally suspicious...

...but suicide or overdose are not the only possible causes. Take, for example, this warning for Ambien (reportedly one of the "sleeping pill" drugs found at the scene):

Rare cases of angioedema [deep skin layer hives] involving the tongue, glottis or larynx have been reported in patients after taking the first or subsequent doses of sedative-hypnotics, including Ambien. Some patients have had additional symptoms such as dyspnea [difficult or labored breathing], throat closing, or nausea and vomiting that suggest anaphylaxis [an alergic reaction. Some patients have required medical therapy in the emergency department. If angioedema involves the throat, glottis or larynx, airway obstruction may occur and be fatal.

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Heath as Joker in the upcoming BatMan movie, "The Dark Knight":

Luckily for us, principal filming had finished, and the film is currently in post-production (per IMDB.com), so we won't have to miss this performance by Ledger..

For best effect, you can download this preview in 1080p (or smaller resolutions) for Windows Media Player or QuickTime @ http://www.thedarkknight.com

or you can watch this embed:




See also:

[1] "Actor dead: Heath Ledger 'had dangerous drug'" (The Daily Telegraph)
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23097344-5001021,00.html
[2] "Heath's Family: He Did Not Kill Himself" (TMZ.com)
http://www.tmz.com/2008/01/22/heaths-family-he-did-not-kill-himself/
[3] http://omg.yahoo.com/heath-ledger-found-dead-in-nyc/news/5898

~ last updated Wednesday, 23 January, 2008 at 09:30 AM UTC/GMT