Was negligence behind the death of Heath Ledger?

By Sandra Rose  | 

Here's my take on the Heath Ledger story: I have to admit I was not familiar with the actor whose promising career was cut short by his untimely death. Someone reminded me that Mr. Ledger played a gay cowboy in the movie 'Brokeback Mountain'. I never saw the movie.

For those of us who are unfamiliar with him, we can't escape the wall to wall news coverage of his death. One of the troubling aspects of his death was his masseuse's claims that she attempted CPR on Mr. Ledger when she found him unresponsive.

According to Nancy Grace, Ledger was found face down in his bed. Any masseuse should be trained in basic CPR 101 which teaches you to move an unresponsive person off the bed and onto the floor before initiating CPR. If you're unable to move the patient, then a board or other hard surface should be placed under his back.

At any rate, the patient must be face up before any attempt at CPR can be made. If paramedics found Ledger face down in his bed, then no attempt at CPR was made.

The other troubling aspect is why the masseuse called actress Mary-Kate Olsen twice before calling 911? And did the actress send her security to the apartment to remove incriminating evidence? Lastly, if 911 was called 15 minutes after the masseuse heard Ledger snoring then she or the company she works for could be held responsible for not acting swiftly enough to save his life.

  • J Gats Juice

    i havent read ur posting yet, but I am so sick of hearing about this. When Pimp C passed, he was not given this much airtime. Hell, I didnt even know who this guy was until they said he was on Brokeback Mountain. Its sad that he passed, but can we let him rest in peace, pls

  • LovelyLady

    I really don't know how he died but i will say this, THERE IS SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS about his death. If a black man was to die all of a sudden automatically he would have been labeled as a drug users, coke users or something to that extent to diminish his character. For example Pimp C all over the white blogs they were talking bout how he died over a coke overdose and Ike Turner. But not Heath huh? What makes him so special although they found a rolled up 20 dollar bill next to him. ROLLED UP BILL, HMMM WHAT IS THAT USED FOR, SNORTING COKE.....

    I am truly sorry about what happened to Heath, but the media or someone is covering this ish up. Talking bout his death is inconclusive. WTF. How? What type of medical examiners are these? Sandra I agree with u this time someone is hiding something but it will come out.

    Oh yeah prescription pills (sleeping pills and anxiety pills) were found in is room. They also said in a recent interview he talked about having a drug problem and that he pictured his death. NE RIP Heath but his ass died from DRUG OVERDOSE no ands, ifs or buts about it.

  • shhhh

    I seen Brokeback Mountain and man was it GAY!!! I was just shocked at the gayness. I mean, yea you see gay people and it's like "oh he talkes like a sissy he's gay" or "she looks butch, she's gay." But there is nothing like seeing the relationship of a gay evolves and everyhing. Man that movie was a wake up. I had to turn away a few times, because the gayness was just tripping me the HELL OUT!!!

    Anyway, Heath was soooooo sexy to me. I'm really sadden by his death. I can some what understand why the lady didn't immediately call 911. I mean here he's a huge celeb, what if she would've been wrong and called 911? It could make her lose future clientele. I hate when people die, they always try to find someone to blame. PEOPLE DIE! people. Gosh, what's so hard to understand about that. We were not made to live forever. So everytime someone dies now, it has to be a conspiracy be hide it? Oh I guess that's only reserved for the rich and famous. They're suppose to be the only one's that live forever. My bad, what was I thinking.

  • Lovlee

    Although I didn't follow this guy I agree. If you found someone lying face down in a bed unconscious, who are you gonna call? his friend? That's just not normal, surely your first instinct would be to call an ambulance in the first few seconds of realising. And even if I was the actress friend I would be like phone an ambulance, why you calling me?

    These people are just brain dead, or up to something. Who knows. I feel the most for his family, anyhow I think it's time for the police to handle it and for everyone else to move on.

  • http://notenoughrealmen.blogspot.com 2thick4u

    J Gats Juice...I sad the same thing yesterday in a discussion that we were having about Heath.

    May his soul rest in peace. People are trying to protest his funeral because he played in Brokeback Mountain.

    Let this man go...

  • http://notenoughrealmen.blogspot.com 2thick4u

    *said

  • TheQueen

    I knew of Heath since he first really came on the scene in that movie 10 things I hate about you. He was a talented actor, with yes a promising career ahead i think. But i agree, there is more to the story than whats being said. Whatever the reason was, he's gone.... let it go.

  • angel

    I believe I read that they called the bodyguard because he was also an EMT.

    LOL at the comparison between a mainstream WHITE actor and a rapper called Pimp C. Come on now, would you even EXPECT the same amount of coverage? Give me a break. That's almost as funny as Sandra somehow believing the masseuse should be held responsible for Heath Ledger's death.

    Let's also not pretend that the media didn't immediately imply this was a drug overdose because they did. It's not mandatory to assume there's a conspiracy behind every damn thing.

  • http://www.myspace.com/millyly milly

    I was so sad to hear this,he's been in so many favorites films of mine, so I've been following up on this, theyve tested the rolled up dollar bill and it came back negative for drugs, I guess his family's trying to get answers bc they claim he wasnt known to be an abuser of narcotics. Theres also speculations that he mixed different prescription drugs and thats what caused his untimely death.

  • Crys

    interesting observations sandra - (for the first time) i'm impressed

  • http://www.stylish-moms.com Nina

    Very suspicious - especially the part about the masseuse calling the Olsen Twin twice. I also read somewhere yesterday that Mary-Kate told her that "she would send over her security guards to take care of the situation." What? If I'm unresponsive, don't send me a couple of security guards - I need an ambulance!

    I remembered him best for his role in Monster's Ball - its very sad this happened.

  • niastar

    I think it was a gross misjudgment on the part of the masseuse. What was Mary-Kate Olsen going to do? The first instinct should have been to start CPR then call 911 if she could not do anything. If he was snoring at 1pm then he was probably dieing or had just passed when the masseuse came in. We will never know but I sure do send my prayers to that family. I know how it feels to lose someone very close to you so suddenly. That is a pain that you will never get over. It also trips me out how people automatically assume that it was drugs in order to make the story seem more interesting. I doubt that the security removed any evidence. After all, they were not HIS bodyguards. Personally I think he took too many sleeping pills. I think it was accidental. I don't think any illegal drugs involved. R.I.P.

  • Taimia1

    I haven't really been following the story, but I know if I'm laying unconscious please don't call Ray-Ray and em! Call 911!!!!!!!!

    I understand the point Shhhh is trying to make. Do you all remember what happened to TO's friend who called 911 for him?!!!....HE FIRED HER ASS!!!! LMAO

  • Poetry777

    I agree and disagree with the statements that have been made. But mainly I agree with the fact that anyone with common sense should know that Pimp C is not going to get the same media attention as a mainstream white actor. Also I've been following this from day one because I'm a huge fan of his and the first thing that was said in the media is that it was ruled a possible accidental overdose. And Sandra what exactly is the proper protocol when u find a dead body? Noone knows how they would react until faced with such a gruesom discovery! RIP Heath. U will be missed

  • solodove2008

    I offer my sympathy to Heath Ledger's family and friends. What is so amazing to me is the amount of media coverage surrounding his death. I would not compare him to Pimp C (no disrespect) but my first thoughts were of Gerald Levert. When Gerald's death was first announced (and there were similar circumstances as Heath's) you could not find anything about it. I remember scouring the Internet for any information trying to confirm or deny the validity of what I heard. Nothing. And even when it was confirmed that Gerald was dead, and there was no immediate cause known, there still was not much information available. The same with Anna Nicole Smith. Coverage of her death lasted for months. 2008 in America, and even in death, we as Blacks cannot have equal rights (or coverage.)

  • bklynsjm123

    Angel I agree with you. There is never an equal amount of coverage when black people are involved. I think the whole situation is sad regardless of who the person is. I do find it suspicious that the masseuse called Olsen twice before dialing 911 but no one was there so until. She couldve been shocked and afraid who knows until you find yourself in a situation like that you cant pass judgement.

  • http://www.myspace.com/birdshu Bird

    Sandra you got many many facts incorrect. Too many for me to correct them all. Suffice it to say, the made and massage therapist found him face down in the bed. The moved him to the floor to perform CPR which is where the paramedics found him face up. The massage therapist didn't hear him snoring. He was dead when she got there whether she knew it or not. The maid heard him snoring (again face down in bed) when she went in the room earlier to change a lightbulb before the massasage therapist even got there.

    Anyway, enough about the death of yet another prescription drug addict. I think we all agree we don't even know this dude. Can we get a post on Detroit's hip hop mayor, Kwame Kilptrick? That topic is much more fun!

  • banginglooks

    Another great actor gone to soon, Rest in peace Heath Ledger !!!

    and ummmm who the hell is a pimp c !!!

  • brenden

    From what I read it was his personal maid who found him not the masseuse. I'm guessing the maid called a friend first because that's what she was taught to do. Had he not been dead and she called 9-1-1 it would have been in all the press. Speculations, rumors, and so on. Shed probably been instructed never to get the cops (the press) involved unless absolutely necessary.

  • brenden

    Taimia1 Says:

    Do you all remember what happened to TO’s friend who called 911 for him?!!!….HE FIRED HER ASS!!!!

    Oh really now??? I didn't know that! Yes the maid was probably terrified of losing her job, and although that may sound negligent, if that's what she was instructed to do I find it hard to blame her.

  • SassyMiss

    Please make sure you at least read the story thoroughly before you comment on it.

    Heath Ledger was a great actor and he will be missed.

    It was his housekeeper who heard him snoring an hour before the masseuse arrived for his appointment. After Heath failed to come out of his bedroom the masseuse went in and found him unresponsive. While she did call the Olsen twin first, after she realized the urgency of the situation, she called 911.

    Also, the $20 bill has been tested and no illegal drug residue was found.

    This story is newsworthy because Heath was so young. Contrary to popular belief, when this story first broke, all of the news media were reporting that it could have been a drug overdose.

    Please, please, please read about situations before you choose to comment on them.

  • Poetry777

    bklynsjm123....I didn't say the bias in the media was fair. It's just a reality. I'm sure if someone with more status than Heath Ledger passes away then they will get even more media attention than he is.........Feel me?

  • aqtpie

    This whole story is just sad. I wish the media would allow his family and friends to grieve in peace. RIP Heath

  • Atlsfinest

    One other thing that should be corrected is that the masseuse was a male masseuse and after the he and the maid tried to get into the locked bedroom, they forced themselves in. Facts are going to change as different outlets report the story, so we know how that goes.

    @Bird, The Mayor of Detroit got it going on!(Not in a good way) I read all about his shady behind. I cannot believe they allow this idiot to keep his job. See how dumb black folk mess us all up. I even looked up pics of Ms.Beatty to see what she looked like with her scandolous behind.

  • kdillon

    THIS IS WHAT CELEBS DO, THEY COVER FOR EACH OTHER.
    HEATH WAS DATING MARY KATE, SHE WAS IN UTAH @ SUNDANCE SO WHY CALL MARY KATE IF SHE IS ACROSS THE COUNTRY? I BELIEVE SHE KNEW HE WAS ON DRUGS AND MARY KATE SENT HER PEOPLE TO CLEAN UP THE MESS BEFORE THE COPS AND PRESS GOT THERE.
    IT IS SAD HE LOST HIS LIFE AND HIS DAUGHTER NO LONGER HAS A FATHER BUT PEOPLE FORGET THAT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE JUST AS WORSE AS NON PRESCRIBED....PEOPLE THINK THEY CAN TAKE ALOT.
    ANOTHER THING, I DONT HAVE $20'S ROLLED UP IN MY APARTMENT....JUST BECAUSE THEY DIDNT FIND RESIDUE DOES NOT MEAN HE WAS NOT GOING TO USE IT FOR DRUGS, HE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THE CHANCE BECAUSE HE DIED.

  • http://a152.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/39/m_08e6f6fcd6dedb69fd95744044de6e87.jpg Slimlady727

    Atlsfinest...

    The massuese was not male, her name is Diane Wolozin.

    I work a few blocks from his apartment and pass it all the time.

    I knew who he was before his death and this is so sad.

  • Atlsfinest

    Well that just further confirms my statement that different outlets will report different things. I heard that the masseuse was male from one of the media outlets when he first passed (Entertainment Tonight, I think) My bad.

  • katgirl33

    It's sad that the only thing he's being recognized for is Brokeback Mountain....this is the FILM he received a Ocsar Nomination for....

    He played Billy Bob's son in "Monster's Ball".....ironically, his character committed suicide.....He was also in "The Patriot" w/Mel Gibson....both were excellent movies....

    I read in the paper today that the lady called Mary Kate b/c she was fella's friend, and didn't know what to do....I know, I know, she was supposed to have called the cops....Mary Kate was in CA, so she sent her bodyguard, who also was friends with the lady....he brought someone to help him find out what was going on, they met the paramedics there.....

    If he was face down or face up, he was gone, and there was nothing she could have done....I read that the paramedics had the defibrilator, and shocked him....but it still didn't work.....

    Pimp C was a 40 year old man, in and out jail for who knows what.....and since he was not well known (especially to "most" of America), that's why he didn't receive a lot of press.....I think that they doing so much press about him because of Looney Britney, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, and Looney Britney (she's so off her rocker, I had to mention her twice, LMAO)

    I think it's a shame when so many of our young people (race does not matter) are dying, when it doesn't make sense.....

    I think he combined too many of them drugs......How they found him doesn't sound like suicide.....I think he was trying to come out of it, and couldn't.....How sad.....

  • katgirl33

    kdillon said:

    JUST BECAUSE THEY DIDNT FIND RESIDUE DOES NOT MEAN HE WAS NOT GOING TO USE IT FOR DRUGS, HE MIGHT NOT HAVE HAD THE CHANCE BECAUSE HE DIED.

    I know we can't believe everything we see on TV these days, but one of them reporters got a hold to an officer on the case....he got to breakin it down....he said that they did find the rolled up $20, but there were no illegal drugs found in his room.....

    I still wonder why she called Mary Kate too.....I mean, what could she have done to save him? I think that she knew that he was going thru a hard time w/ the depression, insomnia....when he was here in Chicago doing The Dark Knight, he said that he was only getting two hours of sleep, mind still active but body exhausted.....was taking sleeping pills, but only worked for an hour......I think he combined them drugs so he could stay sleep longer......

  • kdillon

    The scene could have been cleaned up by Mary Kate's people, and they left the prescription drugs there because its legal. There is no real reason for a masseuse to call another celeb if someone is dead, unless they wanted to cover up. The masseuse is a celeb masseuse so she knows protocal and procedure. If I was his family I would be mad that the housekeeper and masseuse didnt call 911 first!

  • ms.peaches

    THe whole thing was accidental He was sick & feeling a little on the depressed side about the new Batman movie, he said the character he played was giving him nightmares & it was hard for him to sleep so therefore he was taking the Ambien, he also had pnuemonia & was taking other meds for that as well!! Another thing is It was the HOUSEKEEPER who found him & tried to perform CPR he was naked cause he was waiting on the masuesse to come, As far as them calling Mark Kate I heard nothing about that, it was claimed that it may have been her apt. he was in then I heard it wasn't I know the 2 of them use to date but thats a whole other story!!! All I know is another daughter has to grow up without her daddy & it's really sad!!

  • andriceb

    sandra, let it go...when was the last time that you practiced medicine??? If he overdosed, cpr WOULD NOT be enough.

  • https://www.sandrarose.com Sandra Rose

    @ andriceb,

    most people who die from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills usually choke on their own vomit which means they asphyxiate due to airway obstruction. Heath was found face down in his bed so his airway could have been obstructed by the bedding. CPR would have saved his life by keeping his airway open and delivering oxygen to his lungs. At the least they could have checked to see that his airway was not obstructed. But apparently they left him face down in his bed the way they found him.

  • BETTYEJ

    Listen, this is just another White Man cover up! I see the press can print anything and some of you believe the bull. There are so many people on drugs in Holly Weird and New York and all of these other places that the so called Star's hang and you don't know because they go out of their way to protect their asses!

    Wake up to just what the Press is all about. I notice that someone brought up the fact that Sandra should be talking about the black Mayor who got caught on text and may be going to prison for lying under oath. I thought that it was wacky because Bill and Hillary Clinton lie for 8 years and are still lying but the press does nothing but cover their white Lilly asses. And then your so called Black President, Billy Clinton, going to sleep in Dr. Martin Luther King's Church only shows how little respect he has for black people!

  • katgirl33

    LMAO BettyEJ to the White Man Cover Up.....you got some good points....

    What I notice about the Clintons how they are running them bullshyt stories about Obama....I have seen three different news reports (one on Good Morning America) where they broke down each lie Hillary and Bill been telling about Obama.....backing it up with actual written or video documentation of what was actually said.....

    I think we messed up calling Bill the "First Black President" back in the day....LOL It seems like they tryin to call us out on that....like he's saying subliminally, "put my wife in office...I'll be there too!" LOL

    LOL

  • Xsjado

    Too sad, but I mean where was the press when Ozzie Davis was found dead, or when James Brown or Ike Turner died? They only had 5 mins of airtime compared this young man. Grant you yes, he was an up and comer, but these 3 men I mentioned were ICONS.