Brokeback Mountain star Heath Ledger, 28, was found dead in his New York City apartment Tuesday, a New York Police Department spokesman confirmed.
Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the SoHo apartment that is believed to be his home, according to NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. A housekeeper went to let Ledger know the masseuse was there, and they found him dead at 3:26 p.m, Browne said.
Ledger did not respond when they shook him, and the two called police, The New York Times reports. He was pronounced dead at 3:45 p.m. Authorities said they did not suspect foul play.
"Pills were found in the vicinity of the bed," police spokesman Paul Browne told CNN. "This is being looked at as a possible overdose, but that is not confirmed yet."
In a November 4, 2007 interview with The New York Times, Ledger discussed his upcoming role in the Batman sequel entitled The Dark Knight. "Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," he said. "I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." The Times noted that one night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.
Meanwhile, The New York Times initially reported the apartment Ledger was found in was owned by Mary-Kate Olsen. However, Olsen’s rep denied that she owned that apartment. “She does not own the apartment," Annette Wolf, a publicist for Olsen said. "She has never owned the apartment. She and her sister have an apartment in New York City but they are not in this building.”
Ledger broke up with actress Michelle Williams, with whom he has a daughter, Matilda, 2, in September 2007.
An autopsy is expected to be conducted on Wednesday.
More details to come.
