Why Mary-Kate Olsen Was Called Before 911 When Heath Ledger Was Found Dead In His Home
They were very close.
carrie-nelson & Everett Collection / Shutterstock When Heath Ledger was found dead, it wasn't 911 who received the first call. Instead, in a mystery that bewilders many, Mary-Kate Olsen was the first person to learn of the actor's death.
Diana Wolozin, Heath Ledger’s masseuse, tragically found the actor who had died from an overdose in a New York apartment on January 22, 2008.
According to a New York Times report, Wolozin arrived for a regular appointment with Ledger on the day of his death.
She initially believed he was asleep, but soon realized something was wrong after several minutes.
What was Mary-Kate Olsen's connection to Heath Ledger's death?
Olsen was a close friend of Ledger's who the actor reportedly had on speed dial.
Olsen then called in private security guards while Wolozin then dialed 911.
Wolozin called Olsen a total of four times, three before paramedics arrived and one after.
According to the Associated Press, via Access Hollywood, police believed that Ledger was dead before Wolozin arrived, so her calls to Olsen did not play a role in the investigation. Reports surfaced at the time that the apartment Ledger died in actually belonged to Olsen.
However, a source told Access Hollywood that neither Olsen nor her twin sister Ashley owned any apartments in the building.
With that myth debunked, one big question still remained: Why did Wolozin call Olsen before 911?
Ledger and Olsen were reportedly dating before he died.
“Mary-Kate and Heath were casually dating for three months before Heath’s death,” a source told People. “They were hooking up, but neither were particularly interested in making it exclusive.”
The two reportedly met in the summer of 2006, when Ledger was 27 and Olsen was 20.
The two went out for lunch with friends and Ledger was reportedly “charmed” by Olsen throughout the meal.
“Mary-Kate made him laugh a lot,” an eyewitness told People. “They were all talking about scripts and telling funny stories about directors and people in the biz.”
Olsen and Ledger allegedly shared a passion for New York’s nightlife, which brought them together.
“They had a bond that was based on partying, and they had the same tastes in partying … like, in terms of where they liked to hang out in New York, what time they would want to go out,” a source told People. “They just had the same sensibility.”
Olsen refused to cooperate in the investigation unless she received immunity.
The Associated Press reported that Michael C. Miller, Olsen’s lawyer, refused two requests for her to speak with officials.
Miller claimed that Olsen already told investigators everything she knew and that she had no involvement in the drugs that caused his overdose.
Miller also said that Olsen wanted a promise of immunity before speaking with the DEA.
"We have provided the government with relevant information including facts in the chronology of events surrounding Mr. Ledger's death, and the fact that Ms. Olsen does not know the source of the drugs Mr. Ledger consumed,” Miller said in a statement.
DEA investigators suspected that two painkillers found in Ledger’s system, oxycodone and hydrocodone, were obtained illegally.
The DEA’s New York office did not comment at the time on Olsen’s refusal to speak.
Olsen issued a statement shortly after Ledger’s death, referring to him as just a friend.
"Heath was a friend,” Olsen said. “His death is a tragic loss."
Jonathan Alfano is a writer who focuses on news and entertainment topics. Follow him on Twitter to keep up with his content.