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Heath Ledger’s Family Responds to Today's Autopsy Results
Wednesday February 6, 2008
Heath Ledger attends the press conference for "Candy" as part of the 56th Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, 2006.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Wednesday February 6, 2008
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
After the Medical Examiner ruled that Heath Ledger had died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, his father Kim released the following statement:
"We remain humble as parents and a family, among millions of people worldwide who may have suffered the tragic loss of a child. Few can understand the hollow, wrenching, and enduring agony parents silently suffer when a child predeceases them. Today's results put an end to speculation, but our son's beautiful spirit and enduring memory will forever remain in our hearts.
While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath's accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.
Our family enjoyed an extremely happy two week visit with Heath just prior to the New Year. Those recent precious days will stay with us forever. We as a family feel privileged to have some of his amazing magic moments captured in film. To most of the world Heath was an actor of immeasurable talent and promise. To those who knew him personally, Heath was a consummate artist whose passions also included photography, music, chess and directing. We knew Heath as a loving father, as our devoted son, and as a loyal and generous brother and friend.
We treasure our beautiful granddaughter Matilda (to our dear Michelle) as well as an unbelievably wonderful network of close friends, forever, around the world. Families rarely experience the uplifting, warm and massive outpouring of grief and support as have we, from every corner of the planet. This has deeply and profoundly touched our hearts and lives. We are eternally grateful.
At this moment we respectfully request the worldwide media allow us time to grieve privately, without the intrusions associated with press and photography."
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Posted by Mark Cina at 10:22 am ET
32 Comments
12:46 AM
Anonymous Says:
2:33 PM
I TOO HAVE BEEN ON EVERY SINGLE 1 OF THESE MEDICATIONS HE WAS ON AND I MYSELF HAVE CAME TO A NEAR FATAL OVERDOSE IF NOT FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS FINDING ME IT HONESTLY DOENST TAKE MUCH TO ACCIDENTLY OVERDOSE I HAVE DONE IT 4 TIMES SO I FINALLY STOPPED TAKING THEM ALL TOGETHER I'AM NOW ON JUST 2 AND AM MONITORED VERY CLOSLEY THESE MEDS I HAD FAITH IN THE PHARMACY I WOULD BE OK I EVEN ASKED IF IT WAS OK TO TAKE THEM ALL TOGETHER AND THEY SAID YES IT WOULD BE FINE WELL WHEN I OVERDOSED 4X I REALIZED IT WASNT FINE I HAD FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN MY HOME WHO FOUND ME IN TIME AS FOR HEATH HE DIDNT IF THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMEONE ANYONE THERE THAT GREAT MAN WOULD STILL BE ALIVE I KNOW FOR A FACT BECAUSE IM SPEAKING FROM STRAIGHT EXPERIENCE.
CINDY
2-22-2008
7:48 PM
KING Says:
I have been on all these drugs, been addicted to them, and abused them. But I never died... Am I lucky or did Heath just take WAY to many?
6:43 PM
Anonymous Says:
I wonder how people who commited suicide felt when they thought of there families they were leaving to mourn over them, and if they realize that they could be ruining there families lives. That hasn't happened to me, thank the Lord, but for the people that it has happened to, I feel bad for you, and God bless u...
4:56 PM
Anonymous Says:
JaMarcus Russell for MVP 2008
1:03 PM
larn Says:
I am a registered nurse and I can tell you that there are many deaths associated with combining prescription drugs. People think that if it is a prescription drug it cannot hurt, but that is not the case. Heath may not have taken these medications all on the same day. Medications get metablolized differently so it may have still been in his blood stream from a day earlier. I too suffer from horrible insomnia. At times when you haven't slept in 2 or 3 days, all you want to do is take medication to get even an hour of sleep. My heart goes out to his family.
8:40 PM
Anonymous Says:
It is no surprise that Mr. Ledger would have a combination of prescription medications from different doctors, after all, he was a movie star and traveled extensively for filming. The pressure of having to be at his best when performing no doubt caused him to seek help with his insomnia problem. Putting oneself in the frame of mind to play a particular character requires increased andrenaline and, no doubt, the inability to relax once the cameras top rolling. It should have been the responsibility of the prescribing physician to ask what else Mr. Ledger was taking. Drug combinations such as the ones he was prescribed caused his demise. What a tragedy! What a waste of human talent! His doctors should be held responsible.
2:31 PM
Anonymous Says:
I have been a huge fan of Heath Ledger ever since first seeing him in "10 Things I Hate About You", and will miss his work a great deal.
It makes me very sad to think that his soul was in such torment that he needed these types of medications in the first place. I don't know if they were prescribed by one Dr. or several, but it seems that he should have been cautioned about drug interactions by someone! Otherwise, the physician(s)have some responsibility here.
No one will ever know for sure if his death was accidental or not, nor can anyone say for sure if he was an "addict". The bottom line is the world has lost an amazingly talented young man and he will be sorely missed by many.
God bless you and keep you, Heath, and may He comfort your family and friends during this difficult time.
1:18 PM
Anonymous Says:
I can't believe his death or life is even in debate right now. Ya'll are so wrapped up in suicide or accident you forget he was a person just like us. Would you want your life picked apart? Don't you think his family has been threw enough without any of us dragging his name and rep through the mud. Leave it alone. Let his family move on. Who care how he died, it happened and its sad. There is a child who has lost her father and your worried about drugs and all that other crap. Let it go.
1:13 PM
Anonymous Says:
i agree that heath's death may have not been an accident. you can not take a combination of all those drugs an expect to wake up. a person with no medical knowledge would no that.
11:40 PM
Anonymous Says:
I think it is sad H.L. left the earth as young as he was. I pray for his family, daughter, and Michelle. May God comfort them in their grevience.
And for all the people who feel that H.L. was a "drug addicit" you are very wrong. We are living in a society in which we depend our lives to those such as doctors, policemen, etc. So being "PRESCRIBED" his meds. I believe he thought it was okay for him to take all of them at the same time. I dont believe he wanted to leave his daughter behind. I knew someone who went thru sugrey and was prescribed anit-botics and pain killers. What happen was they "accidently" switch his meds and while he THOUGHT he was taking pain killers, he was really taking antibotics he overdosed and died.
Know one knows what really happend to H.L., we can just remember his time on earth and grieve for this moment. So please let him RIP.
3:45 PM
TexasContessa Says:
May God bless his family, keep them close in His arms and comfort them for this horrible and unnecessary loss.
3:38 PM
Anonymous Says:
This article is so sad to read...I'm in tears right now! :'(
3:17 PM
Jaded Reality Says:
Judges and Skeptics,
Accidental overdose happens to even those who are not addicts - few comprehend the power of drug combinations.
This does not make one an Idiot. Nor does it make one immoral. Judgement is immoral, for Christ's sake...
Believing your son died accidentally from overdose may not be denial, and could be true. His family knew him--did you?
Chantel,
Suicide is selfish. Life is too hard for a lot of people. Not caring for those left behind is shameful.
May his loved ones be blessed with ignorance from the ignorant...
2:20 PM
Anonymous Says:
I find it hard to believe that Mr. Ledger died accidently. He was a smart man and I am thinking that he knew that if he took all those drugs at the same time he would probably die. Maybe he wanted to end it all.... He knew what he was doing and if he wanted to live a longer fuller life he would not have been taking so many medications and would have done what he needed to get help. It is what it is.... Happens to regular people every day. Lets get on to the next celebrity taking to many drugs or losing custody of their children and wonder why.... Or maybe we can focus on Angie being pregnant again or Victoria adopting a African child.... WHO CARES.... GET A LIFE WORTH LIVING. HAVE SOME MORALS FOR CHRIST SAKE.....
1:45 PM
Anonymous Says:
I wonder why he took so many different drugs at once? do you think it was his desperation to sleep? Or to keep his mind from racing - he said this was a problem of his in an interview. Anyone knows that mixing all those sedatives could be a problem. I wonder why he did it....
1:32 PM
Anonymous Says:
11:16am..can't you read? The drugs were;
anti-anxiety medications Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium) and Lorazepam (Ativan). The sleeping medication Zopiclone (Lunesta) and the sedative Temazepam (Restoril) – which is used by people with "debilitating insomnia". NOT "pain killers".
Idiot.
Rest in peace, Heath.
===========================================================
Toxicology reports show Ledger’s death was caused by acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, and doxylamine.
OXYCODONE - PAINKILLER!
CAN'T YOU READ - IDIOT!!
12:49 PM
Get Real Says:
Do we really believe this report? Is it possible that Health's "illegal" drug use caused some damage to his system preceding his taking the "legal" yet lethal combination of drugs?
Either way, let's get real...abusing drugs is what caused death here. Had he followed the prescribing info, he may still be alive.
No disrespect to Health, rest in peace my dear soul.
12:43 PM
Anonymous Says:
Actually 11:51...
"Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine,"
The other pills were just found in his apt...
The NYPD found five different medications in Ledger's apartment after his death, including anti-anxiety medications Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium) and Lorazepam (Ativan). The sleeping medication Zopiclone (Lunesta) and the sedative Temazepam (Restoril) – which is used by people with "debilitating insomnia" – were also found.
12:33 PM
Anonymous Says:
I just hope that he didºt suffered his death.
11:51 AM
Anonymous Says:
11:16am..can't you read? The drugs were;
anti-anxiety medications Alprazolam (Xanax), Diazepam (Valium) and Lorazepam (Ativan). The sleeping medication Zopiclone (Lunesta) and the sedative Temazepam (Restoril) – which is used by people with "debilitating insomnia". NOT "pain killers".
Idiot.
Rest in peace, Heath.
11:24 AM
Anonymous Says:
I hope this now puts an end to the trash being talked about this talented man. It was an accident. It is always someone speculating that because he was famous, he was a drug addict. Let the man rest in peace and his family grieve in private. You will be missed Heath!
11:16 AM
Anonymous Says:
Classic signs of a prescription med addict. Why was he on painkillers?? And heavy ones at that??? I can't even get tylenol 3's from my doc when I get back spasms....he was obviously addicted to taking painkillers. They apparently give you a nice high...I also blame the doctors. Who prescribes these meds to the stars???? Meds that no doctor in the 'real world' would give to a patient without just cause...
11:13 AM
Anonymous Says:
I have studied drugs in depth through school, the combination of the drugs that Heath Ledger had ingested was what killed him. It wasn't abuse of drugs that did it, it was combining these medications that produced a paralyzing effect of the CNS and respiratory system, leading to coma and his eventual death.
It only takes a small amount of temazepam in combination with the other medications, temazepam is a powerful hynotic medication and is typically prescribed for a short duration of time because it is a very powerful benzodiazepine medication. It's side effects can be debilitating so it is used with the uttmost discretion.
It is very unfortunate that this young man ingested so many medications w/o exploring the contraindications and side effects of each drug. People need to be more proactive in their healthcare and leave nothing for chance.
I feel heartbroken for his family and daughter, another senseless tragedy that could have easily been avoided...it's just very sad. Everyone loses, but Heath lost the most. RIP Heath Ledger.
11:07 AM
Chantal Says:
the only thing I don't like about this statement is that he seems to think of suicide as some shameful thing...there' no need to attach such social stigma to it..it's just pple where life has proven to be too hard..
11:01 AM
Chantal Says:
great statement..makes sense that the combiantion rather than the over-dosage was the cause..and as a matter of fact - remember what Dr whatshisname said (that pathologist on TV) that these medications have such HUGE safety margin...i guess the safey margin doesn't apply when you combine them, and it's misleading to say that they have such a big margin...
10:59 AM
Anonymous Says:
"While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy."
GOSH IS HE IN DENIAL OR WHAT... YOUR SON WAS A DRUG ADDICT! ACCEPT IT, BELIEVE IT, DEAL WITH IT! That's what druggies do, take drugs in excess.
10:58 AM
Apple Says:
This is beautifully written. It must be the hardest thing in the world to lose a child. I cannot even imagine.
10:56 AM
Anonymous Says:
No more further comments!
10:55 AM
Anonymous Says:
nOW we can stop speculating and celebrate that he was an amazing actor that we are all g oing to miss seeing him reach his peak in the actor world. Ironically enough I had always thought he was so much older because not only has he been around for a long time but he appears to have an old soul that was portrayed in many of his Movie.
Rest in peace Health, and love to Matilda
