My Heath Ledger Blog

Original My Space post date: February 1, 2008

I have to admit it - I am a celebrity gossip junkie. I am a frequent visitor to TMZ.com and Perezhilton.com, not to mention obsessed with tabloids like US Weekly and OK! magazine. John knows that I need at least an hour each night to get my celebrity gossip fix via the internet. He makes fun of my obsession but that's ok with me - it's my one guilty pleasure in my busy daily routine.
I heard the news of Heath Ledger's death on the radio on my way home from work last Tuesday. "The latest on the Heath Ledger tragedy - right after Maroon 5..." the DJ said. Heath Ledger tragedy?! That wasn't something I expected to hear. Britney Spears or Amy Winehouse - either of those names would have been no surprise to any of us. But Heath Ledger? I quickly pulled up Perezhilton.com on my phone and saw the headline "The Latest Details on Heath Ledger's Death". Really, my heart dropped.
Right now you may be reading this and asking why I care so much about his death to devote an entire blog to him. You might be saying, sure it's sad and it's tragic, but that's Hollywood! And I'm bothered by it too. Why do I care so much? Why have I not been able to shake the image of Heath carrying his two year old daughter on his shoulders? And there you have it. I loved him as an actor and a public figure, but I was charmed even more by him as a father.
Any person who reads those gossip mags and websites like I do is familiar with the pictures published of Heath pushing a stroller, or playing with and feeding his little girl. He looks like a regular Joe, just a daddy and his daughter spending some quality time together. I can't help but relate to these images since I get such a euphoric feeling when I see my own daughter with my husband. And now my heart hurts for this little girl who will grow up without knowing her father. He too was just a dad, but happened to be a talented and famous actor. I hate that Hollywood and the pressures of his craft forced him to leave us the way he did. I want him to be able to walk the streets of Brooklyn with his daughter again, I want to rewind history and bring him back. He was a man, an actor, but most importantly a father, taken too soon.
Post-blog note: One of my favorite movies has always been A Knight's Tale. I cry everytime I watch the scene where Ulrich visits his blind father for the first time in 10 years. Rent it!