After Heath Ledger's tragic death in 2008, fans were quick to speculate about his accidental drug overdose. Ledger died just months after filming The Dark Knight — and there have been rumors that his role as The Joker had a part in Ledger's passing.
But during the Tribeca Film Festival, where the documentary I Am Heath Ledger is being screened, the late actor's sister put the gossip to rest.
"Everything that came to light about the Joker, we were all so confused," Kate Ledger told Jess Cagle, editorial director of People and Entertainment Weekly, at the festival. She and her sister Ashleigh Bell also said the idea that her brother was depressed by the role was "so not true."
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"Honestly, it was the absolute opposite," Kate Ledger told Cagle. "He had an amazing sense of humor, and I guess maybe only his close family and friends really knew that, but he was having fun. He wasn't depressed about the Joker."
Matt Amato, an executive producer on the documentary and a friend of Ledger's, supported Kate Ledger's statements. "I hope it's an antidote to a lot of the gossip that exists in the world. And there's some really terrible things about Heath out there," Amato told Cagle of the documentary. "I think everyone's life should be celebrated. Your life, your life, my life, everybody's life, should be celebrated. Heath is a celebrity and in the public eye, and I felt like some corrections needed to be made. But in terms of a film as a tribute, I think everybody deserves that. And I know Heath definitely felt that way about people."
The documentary will air in theaters through Fathom Events on May 3, and on Spike TV on May 17. Check out the I Am Heath Ledger trailer below.