Michelle Williams Breaks Silence on Heath's Death

Following last week's sudden death of actor Heath Ledger, his former girlfriend, and mother of his daughter, Matilda, Michelle Williams, has remained silent — until today, when the actress released the following statement:

"Please respect our need to grieve privately. My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day. His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him."