Heath Ledger is best known for his roles in Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight. His role as the Joker earned him widespread praise, leading to multiple posthumous awards, including the—Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The actor passed away at just the age of 28 due to an overdose. He was discovered dead in his apartment in downtown Manhattan—with bottles of prescription drugs found nearby his body.
Before his death, Ledger and Mary-Kate Olsen were rumored to be dating. These reports led to further allegations that Olsen may have been involved in providing drugs to him. But, no solid evidence backed these claims. Even the actress herself has repeatedly denied them.
Heath Ledger Drug Allegations Denied by Mary-Kate Olsen
Mary-Kate Olsen’s lawyers released a statement (the same of year of Ledger’s death) asserting that she had nothing to do with the drugs found near Heath Ledger when he died from an accidental overdose.
Olsen’s statement said she “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”.
Police told the Associated Press (via The Guardian) that Olsen wanted immunity from prosecution before helping them. They were trying to figure out where two of the drugs—oxycodone and hydrocodone—in Ledger’s system came from. Eventually, they concluded that these drugs might have been acquired using a fake prescription or through illegal methods.
The medical examiner’s office stated, as reported by ABC News, that the Hollywood star had taken “prescribed therapeutic doses…or less” of each medication he consumed. But, these medications were not supposed to be taken together. This led to impairment of the actor’s brain stem function, which controls breathing. As a result, Ledger “fell asleep and never woke up.”
The medical examiner said that they have concluded the manner of death an “accident, resulting from the abuse of prescription medications.”
The first person to discover his body (unconscious and naked on the floor) after the overdose at his New York apartment in January was a masseuse who worked for him.
Heath Ledger and Mary-Kate Olsen were Reportedly Dating Before
Heath Ledger and Mary-Kate Olsen were reportedly dating before he died. The two allegedly liked New York’s nightlife, which is said to have connected them. A source told People:
“Mary-Kate and Heath were casually dating for three months before Heath’s death. They were hooking up, but neither were particularly interested in making it exclusive.”
They first met in the summer of 2006 when Ledger was 27, and Olsen was 20 at the time. They went for lunch with friends, and the Australian actor found Olsen charming during the meal. The same eyewitness told the same source:
“Mary-Kate made him laugh a lot. They were all talking about scripts and telling funny stories about directors and people in the biz.”
Mary-Kate Olsen rose to fame alongside her twin sister, Ashley Olsen, as child stars with their roles in Full House in 1987. Their acting careers took off, and they later went on to star in popular movies for kids.
However, the Olsen twins haven’t acted since the early 2010s. Even though, Elizabeth Olsen‘s sisters no longer act, they are now successful fashion designers.
