Heath Ledger's Drug-Related Video Footage Broadcast

Wed, 30 January 2008 22:34:41 ET

Heath Ledger's Drug-Related Video Footage Broadcast
Amid the grief surrounding Heath Ledger's death last Tuesday, January 22, 2008, a video footage showing the late actor at a Hollywood drugs party has shockingly aired on TV Wednesday, January 30.

Broadcast by The Insider and Entertainment Tonight (ET), the piece caught Ledger talking to two men snorting cocaine in an a party at the Chateau Marmont hotel back in 2006. In the footage, the "Brokeback Mountain" star can be heard talking to the men about his daughter Matilda Rose, even at one point saying "I'm going to get serious s**t from my girlfriend. We had a baby three months ago... I shouldn't be here at all."

Ledger, however, cannot be seen taking drugs in the broadcast, but it is reported that the full uncut videotape is set to be aired on Thursday, January 31.

According to PageSix.com, ET and The Insider paid $200,000 to exclusively purchase the tape, which is said to be taken without Ledger's knowledge as he attended an after party following the SAG awards on January 29, 2006. The former news show even has released a statement to media outlets warning them not to broadcast the tape, stating it will constitute "an infringement and violation of ET and The Insider's valuable exclusive and proprietary rights."

UPDATE: Entertainment Tonight and The Insider have decided NOT to air the full uncut video as planned before. "Out of respect for HEATH LEDGER's family, "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" have decided not to run the Heath Ledger video which has been circulating in the world media," a statement read.