Matilda Rose Heath Ledger’s daughter to inherit estate

Heath Ledger’s $20 million estate will be inherited by his 2-year-old daughter Matilda Rose, an Australian newspaper has quoted Heath Ledger’s father Kim Ledger as saying that the entire $20-million dollar estate will go to Matilda Rose, even though Heath Ledgers’ will had named his parents and three sisters as his beneficiaries.

Heath Ledger with daughter Matilda Rose

Ledger’s three sisters, Kate and Olivia Ledger and Ashleigh Bell, stood to inherit half his estate while his parents Kim and Sally Bell would have received the remaining half.

Heath Ledger's daughter Matilda Rose

Kim Ledger and his family have been the object of intense media scrutiny for quite a while after actor Heath Ledger’s death, and it was expected that Matilda Rose’s mother and Heath Ledger’s ex-parter Michelle Williams would contest the will. The will had been signed by Heath Ledger on April 12, 2003, before the birth of his daughter Matilda Rose.

Michelle Williams was separated from Heath Ledger at the time of his death. William’s father Larry Williams had challenged the Ledger’s family to reveal the exact value of Ledger’s estate, in public.

According to Heath Ledger’s will most of his fortune was locked up in a trust, and only $145,000 was declared as assets and cash.

Larry Williams alleged that it was suspicious that only $145,000 was listed as assets.

Mark Dyson, executor of Heath Ledger’s estate, said that he could not reveal exactly what Matilda would inherit but added that it would be in millions.

In the middle of all the flying accusations, there was some more drama when ReliaStar Life Insurance Company, the company that wrote Heath Ledger’s  £5 million life insurance policy, set about to investigate whether Heath Ledger’s death was a suicide or an accident. This was despite an accident death ruling given by the New York City Medical Examiner.

Matilda Rose with daddy Heath Ledger

ReliaStar has now been sued for its unsubstantiated claims.

Heath Ledger with Matilda Rose, his daughter from partner Michelle Williams

Heath Ledger, one of the most promising actors in recent times, died of an prescription drug overdose earlier in January 2008.

Ledger was said to be under considerable stress because of the intense roles he had been taking on, like The Dark Knight and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, which was on hold after Ledger’s death and is now in production.

Production was resumed after actors the likes of Johnny Depp and Jude Law were roped in to play the different personas of Heath Ledger in the movie.
Heath Ledger’s last role as the Joker in the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight, has been acclaimed as one of his best roles.

It is a widely held belief that Heath Ledger will be nominated posthumously for The Best Actor Academy award.

The studio plans to re-release The Dark Knight in early 2008, just before the Oscar Awards happen.