Movie News

Lawsuit Alleges Ledger Drug Video Set Up

DERRIK J. LANG,
AP
Posted: 2008-04-11 18:17:05
Filed Under: Movie News
(April 11) - A lawsuit against the photo agency and two paparazzi who allegedly filmed Heath Ledger in a hotel room where drugs were being taken claims that the late actor was also using cocaine that night.

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Although he died in late January, the saga of Heath Ledger lives on. According to a new lawsuit filed by a former freelance reporter for PEOPLE under the name Jane Doe, two photographers set up the actor, here with his daughter Matilda, to film a video of the actor doing cocaine.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman who was not named, alleges that two Splash News paparazzi lured Ledger up to her room at the Chateau Marmont Hotel on Jan. 29, 2006. It says they gave him cocaine and secretly filmed the actor, who also had some of his own cocaine.

The woman is listed as "Jane Doe" in the court documents for "fear of consequences and repercussions," but identifies her as a People magazine freelance reporter covering a Screen Actors Guild Awards afterparty at the West Hollywood hotel.

The lawsuit names Splash News, managing partner Gary Morgan, and paparazzo Eric Munn and Darren Banks, whom the lawsuit says the woman was "occasionally dating." Her claims against them include fraud, negligence, trespassing, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among others.

A People magazine representative confirmed the woman was freelancing for the magazine at that time and they were aware of the alleged encounter with Ledger, but there were too many questions surrounding the circumstances for People to write about it. The representative said the woman is no longer associated with the magazine and has not been since last year.

Phone calls to Splash News and Heath Ledger's representative were not immediately returned Friday.

The lawsuit says Ledger found out he was being taped and was very upset about it throughout the evening, but that the paparazzi calmed him down several times, supplied him with more cocaine and insisted the tape would be destroyed. A cocaine dealer arrived in the hotel room later in the evening, the lawsuit adds.

The woman, who the lawsuit says appears in the video with her face blurred, claims she forgot about the tape until "Entertainment Tonight" began advertising footage. After airing a preview of the video in January, "ET" and sister show "The Insider" decided against broadcasting the footage.

At that time, they said the video did not show Ledger using drugs.

The video later surfaced internationally and online at the News of the World Online. In the video, Ledger said that he was "going to get serious (word bleeped) from my girlfriend" for being in the hotel room. The video also showed Ledger rolling cigarette paper and saying "I used to smoke five joints a day for 20 years."

The 28-year-old actor died Jan. 22 in his Manhattan apartment from taking six types of painkillers and sedatives.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-04-11 16:06:22
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Recent Comments

1 - 15 of 123
123 comments

Lingham0623 04:34:57 PM Apr 16 2008

JUST LEAVE HIM BE HE NEEDS 2 REST IN PEACE

RIP HEATH LEDGER :*(

reallyniceguy732 02:56:13 PM Apr 13 2008

ENOUGH the man is dead let him rest in peace

wyttiger55 02:48:05 PM Apr 13 2008

who the hell cares ? he was a hollywood actor who ( liked) to party , woooooooo big suprise .......................................................................

desireeseale 02:43:37 PM Apr 13 2008

WHY CAN'T THE PEOPLE JUST LET HIM REST IN PEACE? ALSO, WHY DO PEOPLE ALWATS THINK THE WORST OF EACH OTHER? HEATH HAS A DAUGHTER THAT ALL OF THIS MESS WILL FALL BACK ON LATER!!

krzykra 01:23:36 PM Apr 13 2008

ETERNITY IS A LONG TIME TO BE WRONG...

--------- JESUS

obsession88 01:21:22 PM Apr 13 2008

LET HIM HAVE PEACE......

kyblu5 01:17:07 PM Apr 13 2008

LET THE MAN REST IN PEACE.

ritasoldman 12:46:00 PM Apr 13 2008

if you want to see a funny movie,get 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU,it's a great movie and Heath did a great job.He will be missed. RIP my friend

feelinefem 10:40:41 AM Apr 13 2008

most people die of pharma overdose, how come legal drugs are legal and no one video taking no one to see who's poping that pill every hour? oh yea that's cause the government says it's ok to do their drugs!

krysking 09:46:29 AM Apr 13 2008

I like WIREEDMS suggestion..."large scale drug bust in Hollywood." I think that it would be very interesting...

krysking 09:45:24 AM Apr 13 2008

Heath Ledger is dead and nothing is going to bring him back..."accidental overdose" is absurd. He died on an overdose of prescription and over-the-counter meds...deadly combination which ended in a fatality.

krysking 09:43:44 AM Apr 13 2008

Heath Ledger is an example of what is wrong with Hollywood...drugs and etoh...flowing freely not to mention the availability of prescriptions being written for pain killers and sedatives for the slightest ache/pain and inability to sleep...

kellercook 09:29:13 AM Apr 13 2008

Get a Life, People. He's dead. If it happened to be by his own hand, is that not 'enough' 'payment' for all of ya'? Jeeeeeez.

fr1642sjb 08:59:20 AM Apr 13 2008

No

coldwint3rnight 08:38:21 AM Apr 13 2008

Hollywood has to many young and not so savy actors and actresses in it. They should have a tutor telling them everyday that they are being watched , lied on , accused of and are supposed to set examples of good for all of the world.They are the most seen people on earth.I've never understood how they film the celebritys doing drugs but never seen to get the drug dealers giving it to them...Why because most times they are only looking for the dollar storys and are scared of doing the real story(getting the dealers off the street).Why try to ruin this young gentlemans reputation??? Leave it alone.....His family is in mourning!!!!!!!

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