Heath Ledger’s Sisters Say The Joker Had No Role In His Death

The entertainment community, as well as fans around the world, were devastated by the news that Heath Ledger had passed away. At the time of his death in 2008, the actor was only 28 years of age, and was quickly becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.

It was later revealed that Ledger’s death was due to a lethal mixture of drugs, stemming from the sleeping medications – among other things – that he was taking.

Many people immediately attributed his recent role as Batman’s arch-nemesis, The Joker, as the ultimate source of this pain. It was thought that the deep portrayal of the character, which earned Ledger a posthumous Academy Award, led to a depressed an anxious mental state for the actor. Since he dove so deeply into the twisted mind of the Joker, some thought that he began taking multiple pills to sleep and escape the frightening thoughts the role had given him.

However, over the weekend, Ledgers sisters seemed to have cast aside those rumors. The documentary titled I Am Heath Ledger premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, and the sisters made a rare appearance to speak after the screening. They revealed that his role in The Dark Knight was a high point in his life, and that he was a very happy guy up until the time of his death.

“He wasn’t depressed about The Joker,” Kate Ledger said during the Q&A. She continued by saying, “Honestly it was the absolute opposite. He had an amazing sense of humor, and I guess only his close family and friends really knew that. But he was having fun.”

Ledger’s other sister, Ashleigh Bell, followed that up by letting people know how confused they were by all of the depression rumors after his death.

“It was coming out that he was depressed and it was taking a toll, and we were going, ‘What?’” Ashleigh explained.

There will be more to learn regarding Ledger’s tragic story, when I Am Heath Ledger is released in May. The documentary will have a limited theatrical release, followed by a shortened, 60-minute version on Spike, May 17. The acclaimed documentary director Derik Murray brought the film to life.

Following Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, which starred Christian Bale as the title character opposite Heath Ledger, Batman next appeared in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The character is now played by Ben Affleck, and he will be seen next in this year’s team-up film, Justice League.

More Justice League: Geoff Johns Comments On What DC Films Need To Succeed / Does The New Trailer Hint At Another Hero Joining? /Justice League Trailer Coming to Theaters

Source: The Daily Beast