Don't Worry, Matilda Will Be "Taken Care Of"

31. 9. At this point, I’m just disgusted. It’s an honor that someone names you as a beneficiary in their will. It means that they thought enough of you to leave a piece of what they earned or valued during their life. Matilda could have been named as one of six beneficiaries, but to completely ignore her was a terrible oversight. It’s not the amount that matters; it’s the acknowledgment and respect that should have been given as a tribute to his daughter.

Posted at 7:51PM on Mar 8th 2008 by Angel
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You obviously did not understand the news report. Heath Ledger had that will drawn up before he ever met Michelle Williams and way before his daughter was born. His lapse in judgment was the oversight of updating his will after his daughter was born. He did not intentionally omit her...she was not born when the will was written.

Posted at 11:37PM on Mar 8th 2008 by lisa

32. "Help" for Michelle does not neccesarrily mean monetary. Emotional support is always appreciated. They probably treat her like she's a daughter-in-law: Always welcome in their home. That means more, I think, than money. However they choose to "take care of her" is a wonderful gesture from the heart.

Posted at 12:11AM on Mar 9th 2008 by Adrienne

33.

let's hope so ; his parents should give it all to his child ; not spend a shilling / or whatever Aussie money is (i'm stupid) on themselves ! Like bloody hell gov'ner ! Greed will takeover , my prediction and little Matilda will end up waltzing one and that's it .

Posted at 12:06AM on Mar 9th 2008 by we've all heard that before

34. Anna Nicole Smith didn't update her will and the court just awarded everything to Dannielynn, who wasn't born yet when the will was drawn up. Of course the situation was different because her will left everything to her son Danny who was deceased also. Anyway, these things can be challenged in court and a minor child, born after the will was issued, will almost always win. Fortunately, if the Ledgers do the right thing, they won't have to go through all of this and give a big chunk to the attorneys.

Posted at 12:17AM on Mar 9th 2008 by no way

35. I thought it was pretty retarded when the media was trying to make it sound like he was sooooo horrible for leaving everything to his parents. It's not like the guy thought he was going to die or anything, and it's not like the family has squabbled with Michelle over anything. He probably just felt at the time he wrote his will years ago, before Matilda was even born mind you, that his family would make the best decisions if he passed. I would have done the same thing. I'm with you #5.

Posted at 12:34AM on Mar 9th 2008 by Margot

36. i think this is the saddest situation ever he was a awesome actor and he seemed very much in love with michelle and more so with his daughter and i think its amazing and wonderful that his family loves them both so much that they want to add them to his will it just shows how amazingly close his family is and how he was raised in an obivious close nit family and being as michelle and matilda were heaths family they will forever be heaths familys family also~ its good to see that even famous people still have down to earth out for the best of any situation and do whats right by heaths family~ he will be sadly missed by many all over the world and i feel so bad for what this family entire family is having to go through.

Posted at 4:23PM on Mar 9th 2008 by kim

37. Hope the Grandparents are sincere when they say they will take care of Matilda. Our father, a lawyer had his affairs in order and during his final days our stepmother, a Palau native and non citizen had her lawyer in Atascadero CA make up a will and 2nd amendment turning EVERYTHING over to her and her daughter from another marriage and leaving NOTHING TO US The forensic reports shows Dad was 100% incapacitated. And we received a letter from her lawyer saying she didn't feel comfortable talking to myself or my brother. She didn't have trouble talking to HER DAUGHTER 4 years later and we are still fighting for what our father wanted. We didn't know our father was sick because she never called us to tell us he was sick let alone dying and the lawyer was 2000 miles away

Like I said I hope they are sincere but money does funny things to people. Hope they do the right thing

Posted at 3:22AM on Mar 9th 2008 by Nanci Meek

38. You know, I hope that his family wasn't hoping for vast sums in his will. According to the New York Daily News he had $190,000 in cash and assets.

Posted at 4:14AM on Mar 9th 2008 by Jeri

39. People are astonishingly stupid. First, why was Heath Ledger's will made public? Why? It's nobody's goddamn business. Second, Heath was too young to even think about a will. Third, the fact that he had a will doesn't mean he updated it every nanosecond. Like Go Sox said, I hope some of the stupid freaks on this sight have their wills in order and have all their beneficiaries all lined up, and I hope that if they break up with their new wife/husband/lover, that they will instantly update their wills, and/or the second that they become aware that they're going to be a parent that they stop everything and change their wills. Fourth, apparently everyone on TMZ comment boards knows how much money Michelle Williams makes. How do your morons know that she has "enough of her own money"? Do you have passwords to her online accounts? It is just astonishing how incredibly stupid and judgmental people are. I hate to break it to you, but if Heath's parents decided not to give any money to Michelle, that would be their business, not yours. Why don't you leeches think about your own lives and stop worrying about how Heath divided up his money? Oh, I'm sorry; you don't have any lives to worry about -- that's why you are commenting on whether or not Heath did the right thing. Invest in your own lives people, and you might find some meaning in them. But I know I am asking the impossible when people will now spend the rest of their lives worrying about whether Matilda Rose has enough to eat.

Posted at 4:34AM on Mar 9th 2008 by DeeCee53

40. You can bet he had more than $190,000 in assets. That's what he might have had in 'hard' assets down under but he would have millions somewhere here. If he only had $190K how could be have afforded $27K a month for the condo in SoHo?

I predict a fight over the legality of his will that will be bigger than 'Ben Hur' and in the end the attorneys and the IRS will get it all or most of whatever assets he had.

As for Matilda - don't worry, she won't starve!

Posted at 7:42PM on Mar 12th 2008 by A REAL Cowboy

41. Being young is no excuse for not having a will if you have children. Even if you have no estate to leave your children, you should make sure guardians are named for your child. In this case, the child has a living mother to care for her, but both of these parents could just have easily perished in a car accident at the same time. Without a will, a court judge has no way of knowing your wishes, and your child could end up with the last person on earth that you would want raising your child. Even a total stranger could petition the court for custody of a child. Custody battles are fought every day over children who have lost parents who didn't take the time to make out a will. It's just lazy and wrong to not make out a will when you become a parent making provisions for your child.

Also, I think there should be requirements for any minor child to be provided for from an estate whether there is a will or not, Parents are responsible for their minor children in life, and death shouldn't "let them off the hook." If there is an estate, it should be required that at least a portion go to any minor child to help pay for their upbringing.

Posted at 4:52AM on Mar 9th 2008 by Sabrina

42. @ jeri
$190,000 i think is just the money he had in american assets. He was well worth millions and just finished batman so i dont know where that got that some amount of money from.

Posted at 4:12PM on Mar 11th 2008 by rosario

43. Yea, right. They are going to help...for sure. That is why they fled the country!!!

Michelle and Matilda will never see a dime from the estate..

Posted at 5:03AM on Mar 9th 2008 by IRS Party

44. shouldn't matilda get it all?maybe give the family a token but get matilta a lawyer and if her lawyers wish to give heath's family a token fine,but matilda is his heir

Posted at 5:08AM on Mar 9th 2008 by killed the blog again

45. DeeCee53 wrote:
36. People are astonishingly stupid. First, why was Heath Ledger's will made public? Why? It's nobody's goddamn business. Second, Heath was too young to even think about a will. Third, the fact that he had a will doesn't mean he updated it every nanosecond. Like Go Sox said, I hope some of the stupid freaks on this sight have their wills in order and have all their beneficiaries all lined up, and I hope that if they break up with their new wife/husband/lover, that they will instantly update their wills, and/or the second that they become aware that they're going to be a parent that they stop everything and change their wills.

First: All wills are a matter of public record. You can go down to any probate office and look up any will that has been filed in that jurisdiction.

Second and Third: He wasn't too young to think about a will. He should have and could have updated his will in a timely manner. His child isn't a newborn. He had plenty of time to update his will, as ANY parent should. It only takes a few minutes to do it. I am 50 years old, and I've updated my will many times over the years as there have been changes in my life. Beneficiaries have to be added; other beneficiaries have died. When you are a parent, you can't afford to NOT keep your will updated. It's the responsible thing to do.

Posted at 5:14AM on Mar 9th 2008 by Sabrina