Monday marked the 10-year anniversary of Heath Ledger’s death.
The beloved actor died of a drug overdose on January 22, 2008, leaving a daughter named Matilda that he shared with ex-wife Michelle Williams.
It was one of the saddest developments in recent Hollywood history.
To help her close friend cope with the sad occasion yesterday, Busy Philipps hopped on a plane and spent time with Williams, documenting the bonding session for all to see on social media.
And this is where the controversy now arises.
The former Cougar Town star shared a selfie on Instagram last night, one that features both her and Williams with forlorn looks on their faces.
“It’s ok,” the actress wrote over the top of the snapshot, which depicts Williams burying her head on her good pal’s shoulder.
Check out the image here:
While some people on the Internet have found it sweet and sentimental, a bunch of others find it inappropriate and offensive.
These trolls basically think Philipps is exploiting her friend’s misery in order to make herself look good.
“I don’t want to be the cynical one here as I’m sure this was done with the best of intentions but… couldn’t this private moment have remained… private?” wrote one online critic, adding:
“I just don’t see why this was necessary.
“You might as well have just gone ‘LOOK AT ME. LOOK AT WHAT A GREAT FRIEND I AM’. Sending love anyway as I don’t doubt the emotions are genuine.”
As you can see below, this same opinion was shared by quite a few Facebook users:
On one hand, we understand these points of view.
It’s certainly a bit strange to publicize what appears to be a private and very emotional moment.
On the other hand… come on, cynics of the World Wide Web.
Williams and Phillipps met on the set of Dawson’s Creek many years ago and are well known as the best of friends.
It seems nearly impossible to believe that Williams didn’t give Phillipps permission to share this snapshot.
Or, even if she somehow did not, it seems nearly impossible to believe that Phillipps meant any harm by posting the picture.
Ledger and Williams got close while filming Brokeback Mountain in 2005; they welcomed welcomed their daughter in October of 2005 and separated in September of 2007.
About a year later, Ledger was found dead from a cardiac arrest, which was the result of an, accidental overdose in his New York apartment.
He was 28 years old.
In tearful videos posted to her Instagram story on Monday, Philipps expressed extreme grief while driving in her car as the song “Time to Pretend” by MGMT plays in the background.
“I was just driving and I was thinking about my friend Heath who died 10 years ago and this song came on, ‘Time to Pretend,’” she said in the footage.
“It came out after he passed away and I remember when it came out, because [I thought] it made me think of him. I just thought he would have liked this song.
“And for some reason, every time I hear this song… it’s weird.”
May Ledger continue to rest in peace.