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Okay people, time for your morning update on The Ledge – come on, you know you want it. Even Daniel Day Lewis says there’s nothing else to talk about. (Scroll down.)
Sorry we’re late, but there are a lot of new developments this morning. First and foremost, Heath Ledger is, sadly, still dead. Second! Before calling 911, Diana Wolozin, the unlicensed massage therapist who found Ledger’s body, used Ledger’s phone to speed dial Mary-Kate Olsen for advice not once, not twice – like we thought yesterday – but THRICE before deciding to call that emergency hotline thingy… what’s the number for 911? Total time spent in counsel with Olsen before calling 911: 9 minutes.
Would paramedics have been able to bring Ledger out of cardiac arrest had it not taken Wolozin almost 45 minutes to summon them after she entered the apartment? Does Wolozin now have massage oil and blood on her hands? As one commenter pointed out yesterday, licensed massage therapists are required to show proof they have first aid and CPR training. And practicing massage without a license is a Class E felony punishable by a maximum of four years in prison.
The ending is anything but happy, and police are expected to talk soon with Olsen to get, like, her side of the story – which includes this plot twist, as told to People Magazine by an unnamed source: “Mary-Kate and Heath were casually dating for three months before Heath's death. They were hooking up, but neither were particularly interested in making it exclusive…They had a bond that was based on partying, and they had the same tastes in partying.” Rest in peace, Heath, but the party must go on – last night Olsen was spotted “smooching with a man on the dance floor” at the downtown nightspot Sweet Paradise.
Know what else is depressing? Daniel Day-Lewis breaking down on Oprah. Fighting back tears, Day-Lewis said, “It seems somehow strange to be talking about anything else… I didn’t know him but I’d already marveled at some of his work and I looked forward so much to see the work he was going to do in the future.”
Ledger’s next project, the Terry Gilliam-directed fantasy film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is now on the rocks. The $30 million production, which also stars Christopher Plummer and Tom Waits, started filming last month, but it’s now been put on hold indefinitely. According to one insider, the project is now listed as “subject to a force majeure, invoking a contract clause that releases all parties from liability in exceptional circumstances like the sudden death of a leading cast member.” Thankfully Ledger’s work as Joker in The Dark Knight is all in the can.
Other news surrounding the death of The Ledge: There will be a private viewing of the body today for close family, friends and the international media circus at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home on Madison Avenue and 81st Street. His family, who wrote some heartbreaking tributes for an Australian paper, will bury Ledger at a private service in Perth, where, somehow, the homophobic hillbillies at the Westboro Baptist Church have vowed to stage a protest because of Ledger’s role in Brokeback Mountain. And who can blame them? Ledger probably died naked and face down just to piss them off.
Update: The police say the NY Post's report that they want to question Mary-Kate Olsen is incorrect, which the Daily News is thrilled to point out. And Olsen released a statement about Ledger's death, "Heath was a friend. His death is a tragic loss. My thoughts are with his family during this very difficult time."
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Heath Ledger...what a loss..The saddest thing that could happen before this years Oscar
John,
I usually think your writing is at the top of the gothamist pile, but this post reads like an audition for gawker. If it is, good luck. If not, please go back to writing like not-an-asshole.
"The ending is anything but happy"
LOL, John, you are fast becoming my favorite Gothamist poster. Keep it up!
The latest from TMZ (the pre-eminent source for all noteworthy news):
"There is a newspaper and internet report out that the NYPD wants to question Mary-Kate Olsen in connection with the death of Heath Ledger. It is absolutely false. High-up sources at the NYPD tell us there is 'absolutely no plan' to interview Mary-Kate. One source said the investigation is pretty 'buttoned up' and the department is now waiting for the toxicology report, which could determine cause of death."
Now let's get back to Britney...
News Update: Yep, Sadly, he's still dead...
I still can't seem to remove the stains from my undershorts. Any tips here?
He's still dead, but this story is moribund.
I'm siding with grammar - this is written like it's a whimsical story, not a sad account of a real person's death. Even Perez Hilton is being respectful.
I agree with commentor Grammar. This post displays an unnerving insensitivity and annoying snark that is much better left to the denigrating writers over at Gawker. You're a better writer than that.
For an off-the-cuff NYC blog, Gothamist is usually top-shelf and I'm happy to procrastinate at work with it- but that last sentence should be struck, if not the whole post. What kind of juvenile cheap-shot writing is this? It's embarrassing for everybody.
I agree with other readers, this is too snarky. It's not a funny story, why are you trying to make it funny?
Apparently Diana Wolozin and Mary-Kate Olson will share the Megan Marshack award this year.
(Fine, I'll do it for you...
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22megan+marshack%22
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Rockefeller)
I'm going to weigh in too... the smug tone and pat-myself-on-the-back cleverness is totally inappropriate to the story, and very un-Gothamist. I've always admired this site—and visit it way too many times a day—for its sincerity, for its unboring maturity, for its genuine enthusiasm for this great city and its people. There's so much celebritysnark already on the internet... does Gothamist really want to join that club? I hope not.
Sad subject..
but great post!!
this post should be removed from the website. it is the opposite of what this website is supposed to exemplify.
Terry Gilliam is the unluckiest director ever.
I saw glimpses of this snarky attitude in that post about the soldier's Surrender theater piece, and I talked about it there. It's even less appropriate for this post.
very well said, scoboco.
Fakenewyorker: you are correct! Though he did do The Brothers Grimm with Damon and Ledger, but still... he's had a bad streak.
i didn't realize it was illegal for not calling 9/11. stupid yes, but illegal?
I think the use of the word "snarky" should be limited to one per household.
you guys are just picking up on JDS's gawker aspirations now? did you guys not
I agree with what is being posted about the style of this post. I purposely do not read gawker because I do not like the snarky attitude of the writing. I was very surprised to read something like this on gothamist.
well, let's try that again.
you guys are just picking up on JDS's gawker aspirations now? did you not notice the numerous stories he's written about gawker (not FOR gawker, mind you)..im guessing this recent uptick in JDS posts is his attempt to bulk up his resume for the next time a gawker editor decides to quit. dobkin beware.
i read this site very often but almost never post. i agree with readers' criticism. headline and tone express a lust for scandal. gothamist is at its best when it reads like a quirky civic newspaper. stop gawking!
i'm not that worried-- after john's last gawker post, i think nick denton has him marked for death!
You have to be kidding me. If ever there was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, it would have to be Gothamist commenters suddenly growing morality. Really, people. Plus, over Heath Ledger?
This is a bit tabloid-y, I agree. Not what I expect from gothamist.
Here's hoping that those Westboro Baptist Church homophobes get smacked around a bit in Oz if they have the extreme bad taste to protest at a funeral. That is disgusting.
I suppose the massager panicked, and that could be an excuse for calling Olson first. BUt, why didn't Olson call 911, especially after getting another call, let alone 2 more calls? If the massager had sounded panicked, I'd think I'd have just hung up, and called 911 myself. duh. SOunds like two airheads here.
I've heard, that when the paramedics got there, he was in rigor, anyway, so the delay in calling 911 by a few minutes wouldn't have made any differance. SOunds as if he was dead for some hours by then.
"First and foremost, Heath Ledger is, sadly, still dead."
Very tacky, Gothamist. Have some decency.
Bad taste and bad karma...
This is not about morality - its about posting something so imature, pathetic, offensive in Gothamist...please keep this for your My Space blog...
And to the Senior People at Gothamist (I imagine you have some...). Do you guys understand the concept of Editing? Did anyone else read the post before publishing?
This is almost as bad as the guy on FOX NEWs....
I'm not familiar with John's usual style of writing, but from the lack of taste displayed in this piece it seems that perhaps he would be better suited to a job at the New York Post.
I also found the tone of this piece to be offensive.
how do you know it wasnt the other olsen out at da club?
Ick @The Post, yet again. Why would "the heat" be on Mary Kate?
And I hope Phelps' caravan gets disappeared into the outback.
I think John is probably the worst writer on here, his tone is always smug, obnoxious, and sophomoric. Here he's just one step above the Fox News guy. I'll take Jen Chung's weak grasp of grammar over this any day. ;)
And I don't see the point in posting the address of the funeral home. Yuck.
I miss the weekly postings of band listings. I started reading Gothamist on the advise of a friend, but I feel like there used to be a lot more fun stories, about things to do in the city, etc. Sigh...
I tend to agree w/ MSK. Gothamist was much better before the College Newspaper Editorial Column vibe took over. As if we need yet another uppity POV from farty, out-of-touch college lefties in this town.
Ooops, I meant "advice," of course. I Chunged!!! ;)
@msk - agreed this post is bad, but I would like to submit a vote for Jen Carlson being the worst Gothamist writer.
i agree that the tone of this post is inappropriate.
in an attempt to add something to the conversation: i've been surprised at the amount of stories the new york times has already published about ledger's death. they've covered all the angles... including a photograph of michelle williams returning to her house, with her child in her arms.
this seems to be a watershed moment in tackiness.
"You have to be kidding me. If ever there was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, it would have to be Gothamist commenters suddenly growing morality. Really, people."
Well, we are not all the same person, you know. I also thought this post was out of character for Gothamist.
Emily Dickinson- thank you!
i was planning on commenting on the nickname The Ledge, which makes me think of the Replacements song of the same name which is about suicide, of all things - but after scrolling through all this whining, i have to agree with Emily Dickinson.
haven't you people ever heard of levity, or making light of a bad situation? have you ever even been to a funeral, where you will hear the occasional peal of laughter? it's the way some people cope - deal with it.
my god, the morality police are out in full force today.
lots of pots calling the kettle blacks today.
Yes, but if you're at a funeral, you're friends or family of the deceased. If you're a random person writing a blog post about someone you've never met, is it really appropriate to insert this kind of sarcastic levity?
"how do you know it wasnt the other olsen out at da club?"
funniest thing on this post. maybe that's why people are having a cow.
Not to state the obvious, but the Olsen twins are gross. Also, I agree with Emily.
I really hope Heath's parents aren't reading this blog.
say what you want, people, but this story is an attention-magnet
and yes, the Olson twins are gross!
I like this whole Mary Kate person thingamajig going on; it's making the drama-filled cauldron of filth really add up. That way the media can dig and dig into Heath's family and personal business! Love it, good work!
I keep hearing about how Mary Kate has been affected and about how she says losing Ledger was a tragic loss, but what I really want to know is how Kimmy Gibler is handling it.
sigh...
i had a moment where i wanted to do a little L&O investigating because in initial reports it said he was found on the floor naked and face down (sad) and then in another report it said that the masseuse let herself into his apt(weird) and when he didnt answer her knocking on his bedroom door she just went in and set up her table (uh also pretty weird)
but...
if he was laying naked on the floor when she went in and set up her table wouldnt that be downright batshit crazy not to call the cops...maybe trying to cover up her real reason for being there?
but im too exhausted by *all* the reports to go back and see where each of those bits of info left off.
and?
ps.
the Phelps camp can barely afford electricity in their trailers. I doubt they can scrape up the $1500 per person air fare for a "protest".