When Heath Ledger passed away from an accidental drug overdose in 2008, his daughter with Michelle Williams was only a toddler. Despite being thrown unexpectedly into single motherhood, Williams has managed to raise Matilda Rose, now 9, beautifully — all the while keeping their daughter grounded, despite her famous roots.
Kate Ledger, Heath’s publicist-turned-stylist-and-author sister, praised Williams in a recent interview with Sydney’s Herald Sun. “Michelle really does keep things ‘real’ for [Matilda] and her existence, though different from most, as as normal as possible in abnormal world,” Leger reportedly said. Realness for the mother-daughter duo means normal stuff like walking to school together and residing — up until recently — in the Brooklyn townhouse where they lived together with Ledger.
Matilda Rose is an “expressive, creative, beautiful girl who is fortunate enough to have great grounding from her mum,” said the proud aunt. She went on to affirm that keeping her brother’s memory alive for Matilda is a family effort. “I love telling [her] stories about her daddy and how he grew up. I think it’s so important for her to have a good sense of where she comes from in order for her to get to know herself.”
Ledger's tragic death at 28 left a painful hole in the film world, but no doubt a far wider chasm in the fabric of his family. It's good to see Michelle Williams and Matilda — who looks so much like her dad — getting on well. [Herald Sun]
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