Heath Ledger’s untimely death aged just 28 rocked the world in January 2008. In a cruel twist of fate, the talented actor, best known for his roles in The Dark Knight and 10 Things I Hate About You, tragically passed away without leaving his $16.3 million fortune to his only daughter, Matilda.
The Australian actor shared Matilda, who is now 20 years old, with his ex-fiancée and former co-star Michelle Williams. The pair dated for around three years, but had split by the time of his death from an accidental overdose.
Heath’s will was written in 2003, two years before his daughter was born, and it left his entire $16.3 million estate to his parents and sisters.
However, the family ultimately decided to donate the entire fortune to Matilda because “that’s how Heath would want it to be.”
Following his death, his parents, Kim and Sally Leger, and his sisters Kate, Olivia and Ashleigh, insisted that Matilda and her mother, Oscar-nominated actress Michelle, would be provided for.
© Getty“Matilda is an absolute priority and Michelle is an integral part of our family. They will be taken care of and that’s how Heath would want it to be,” they told People at the time.
Matilda was later chosen as the sole beneficiary of Heath’s estate, and the late actor’s father told People that it was the plan “from the moment my boy passed away.”
“Our family has gifted everything to Matilda. There was never any question about the fact that Heath’s estate would go to Matilda. Never a question. We are very close to Michelle and Matilda,” he clarified.
© Getty ImagesGenerous co-stars
It wasn’t just Heath’s family members who stepped in to provide for Matilda, however. Heath’s famous friends Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law all reportedly donated their entire salaries from the late screen star’s final film to his young daughter.
The Hollywood trio stepped in to play different versions of Heath’s character in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus so the movie could be finished. Director Terry Gilliam described the gesture as “extraordinary and wonderful” at the time.
Matilda’s family life
Matilda and her mother Michelle still reside in New York City, where the young girl was born. The Dawson’s Creek actress now shares three children with her theatre director husband, Thomas Kail.
© WireImage“Matilda is adorable, and beautifully observant and wise,” Heath told InTouch two months after becoming a dad, adding: “Michelle and I love her so much. Becoming a father exceeds all my expectations. It’s the most remarkable experience I’ve ever had — it’s marvelous.”
At the time of his death, the former couple – who met on the set of Brokeback Mountain – were living apart but happily coparenting for the sake of their daughter.
While she has been raised away from the spotlight, Matilda has one foot in the showbiz door thanks to her famous godparents Jake Gyllenhaal and Busy Phillipps.
Michelle’s close friend, Succession star Jeremy Strong, has been a hugely influential figure in Matilda’s life, even moving in with the mother and daughter for a period of time.
© Getty Images“Jeremy was serious enough to hold the weight of a child’s broken heart and sensitive enough to understand how to approach her through play and games and silliness,” she told Variety.
“[Matilda] didn’t grow up with her father, but she grew up with her Jeremy and we were changed by his ability to play as though his life depended upon it, because hers did.”
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