Heath Ledger's Daughter Is All Grown Up And Her Mother, Michelle Williams, At Long Last Spoke Out About Raising Her

Apr 28, 2020

Heath Ledger was not just an Academy-award winning actor but the father to Matilda Rose with his ex Michelle Williams. Michelle opened up in a 2016 article about what it was like to raise Matlida by herself after Heath passed away unexpectedly in 2008.

It has been nine years since Heath Ledger tragically passed away from a drug overdose according to his Biography. It truly came as a shock to the world, just as the actor was reaching the peak of his career.

His daughter Matilda was only two years old when her father died, and has since been raised by her mother, Dawson's Creek actress Michelle Williams. Michelle spoke openly about her privacy fears, raising a child in the limelight, especially after her late father's death, but she made sure that little Matilda got to spend her childhood growing up safely out of the public eye.

As the years have gone by Matilda has grown to look more and more like her father, and his presence is felt every day, despite him being so dearly missed.

In an interview with Vanity Fair Michelle said, "When you’re a single parent, and that element of provider and protection is missing, it’s scary… I always say to Matilda, 'Your dad loved me before anybody thought I was talented, or pretty, or had nice clothes.'”

Matilda is now 14 years old and the time since she has grown up has given her mom some time to reflect. The Manchester by the Sea actress spoke with Porter magazine in 2016 about her circumstances:

“In all honesty, for pretty much everything else, I feel like I’m a believer in not fighting circumstances, accepting where you are and where you’ve been. In pretty much all senses but one, I would be able to go totally down that line of thinking were it not for Matilda not having her dad. You know, that’s just something that doesn’t…I mean, it just won’t ever be right," she said to the magazine as per Grazia.

In a particularly introspective moment, she continued on to share her feelings about motherhood, saying:

“I watched [Matilda] warm in the sun, in her swimsuit, get on her bicycle and smile and wave as she rode off to go meet her friends,” she said. “I went back into the house and sobbed because of this incredibly simple moment ― common everyday happiness. I really felt like in that moment, like wow, we’ve done it," she said to the magazine as per Grazia. "Not only are we OK, she’s happy. Life has brought us to a place that’s not just surviving, but thriving.”

What's your opinion? Does Matilda look like her dad Heath Ledger? Be sure to ask your friends on their opinion as well.