Michelle Williams' dad wants probe into Heath Ledger's will
Wednesday, 26 Mar 2008 12:12
Michelle Williams' father wants an investigation into the will of Heath Ledger
The father of actress Michelle Williams has called for an investigation into the will of the late actor Heath Ledger, her former partner.
Larry Williams, who is estranged from his daughter, has questioned court papers filed in New York which claim the Dark Knight star was worth only $145,000 (£72,584) at the time of his death.
According to E!, a will was drafted in 2003 and lists Ledger's assets as including a Toyota Prius worth $25,000 (£12,514), furniture and fixtures worth $20,000 (£10,011) and $100,000 (£50,058) in miscellaneous bank accounts.
However, Larry Williams, a stockbroker who has been in Australia since 2006 battling extradition proceedings to the US where he is wanted on charges of failing to pay $1.5 million (£750,775) of federal taxes, has called on Ledger's father Kim to clarify the will.
"It's real simple - just come clean with everything," Williams told Australia's Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
"It's so easy to resolve this. [Kim Ledger] just has to say where the income went and where the assets are. I'm certain that there is grieving in the Ledger family but [lawyers for] Kim have already filed papers in New York, so it seems like it's time to be transparent about it."
He also criticised the speed with which the will was entered into a New York probate court in February, soon after the death of 28-year-old Ledger, and said his actress daughter - who had a two-year-old, Matilda Rose, with Ledger - should have been consulted more extensively.
"I have no idea what Heath Ledger was worth [but] they certainly haven't stated all of the assets to the court," Williams added.
Williams' claims come soon after Kim Ledger's brothers asserted their sibling was not fit to handle his late son's estate.
When asked by Larry Williams if Kim could manage the Brokeback Mountain stars' assets, Hayden Ledger told People magazine: "I just said 'No, not if he handles it like ours'."