Busy Philipps and Michelle Williams will always be BFF goals — and thanks to the Cougar Town alum, fans sometimes get an inside look into their relationship via social media. But last month, she received some “mixed” remarks when she shared a photo on the 10th anniversary of Heath Ledger’s death.
Williams, 37, and Ledger met on set of 2005’s Brokeback Mountain and welcomed daughter Matilda in October 2005. He died three years later of an accidental overdose. On the anniversary, Philips flew to see Williams and captioned a photo “It’s ok.”
“I think some people felt like I was being exploitative. I’ve never even really spoken about [Ledger’s death], because I never would want to have it be misconstrued in that way, but it was the 10-year anniversary, and…It’s just been a long 10 years, you know?” Philips said during a recent interview with The Cut. “That anniversary, just brought up a lot of … I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. I was pregnant with Birdie. I had seen him a couple months earlier, and you know, [Williams and Ledger] were broken up. I’ve never talked about it. I’ve never shared it, because I’m hyper protective of [Williams] and her daughter. But I also think … I think it’s OK. Everyone’s allowed to have their own feelings about something that happens.”
According to The Cut, Philipps, 38 — who is Matilda’s godmother — began to tear up while discussing the late star. She added that “certain people in the public feel protective” but “if I want to talk about it, and I never have really done it before, and this, like, the anniversary, I really felt like … [it’s OK.]”
Williams, meanwhile, told The Cut that she doesn’t look at Philipps’ Instagram, but noted: “I trust her judgment implicitly.”
The best friends recently reunited once again for an epic Dawson’s Creek photo shoot in honor of the show’s 20th anniversary for Entertainment Weekly.
