NEWSHeath Ledger's 'Loved Ones All Adore' His Daughter Matilda and 'Delight in Seeing How Well-Adjusted and Mature She Is'
Heath Ledger died when Matilda was 2 years old.
Matilda Ledger is all grown up — and her family is very proud!
17 years after her father Heath Ledger's heartbreaking death, Matilda, 19, has matured into a "humble" and "thoughtful" young woman as she lives a "low-key" life in New York, according to a source.
Michelle Williams and Heath Ledger welcomed Matilda in 2005.
Her mother, Michelle Williams, 44, "stayed in touch with a lot of" the Brokeback Mountain actor's friends who have shared stories with Matilda about "what an awesome, inspirational human being he was and the incredible things he accomplished" prior to his passing.
"Michelle’s always encouraged that," added the source. "She wanted Matilda to grow up embracing her father’s legacy."
The source dished The Greatest Showman actress is "so proud of how Matilda has gone about her life and what an intelligent, thoughtful young adult she’s turned out to be."
Michelle Williams moved with Matilda to New York after Heath Ledger's death.
Michelle has also fostered relationships between her daughter and Heath's family over the years.
"His loved ones all adore Matilda and delight in seeing how well-adjusted and mature she is," the source shared. "They know Heath would be happy with the person Matilda has become."
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Heath Ledger's family members 'all adore Matilda,' according to a source.
Despite Heath's tragic passing in 2008, when Matilda was only two years old, the source revealed "it feels like he’s this guardian angel figure watching over her and helping her navigate her way through things with his spirit."
"Matilda is honored whenever someone says she looks or acts like Heath," the source concluded.
Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams were spotted with Matilda in 2006.
As OK! previously reported, Ledger was found dead inside a Manhattan apartment on January 22, 2008. It was later determined he'd died from an accidental prescription drug overdose.
Medical examiners confirmed he had painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs in his system when he died.
Reflecting on his death, Michelle admitted in a 2011 interview that it "becomes rather tricky" talking about her daughter's father.
"I don’t want to say something without resonance, but then I don’t want to go too far," she shared. "I experienced a lot of loss after his death. I lost my city because of all the paparazzi descending upon us. I actually lost my journal during that time, oddly enough. I literally couldn’t hold onto anything. It felt as if things were literally slipping through my fingers. Things were just streaming away from me. I lost my sense of humor. I’m still looking for that."
The source spoke with Life & Style about Matilda.
