Heath Ledger’s love child: When family attacks

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Over the weekend, two cheetahs attacked a women at an animal sanctuary in Florida. That’s nothing compared to the mauling by Heath Ledger’s uncle Down Under. The late actor’s uncle--estranged from the actor’s father, who is executor of his estate--has told an Australian newspaper that Heath may have fathered a love child when he was 17 years old. This is probably just the first joust from the embittered family. It’s sad to think that Ledger’s uncles, who are angry because the actor’s father once bungled another inheritance, will besmirch his name just to get back at his dad. The Rage only wonders if someone at Star or Us magazine lost his job for not landing the story first.

Interestingly, a study in 2005 that was reported in The Christian Science Monitor revealed that ‘nearly 40 percent of those in the older generation say it is very important to pass financial assets or real estate to their children. Only 10 percent of baby boomers feel that way about passing assets to their kids. And only 4 percent of boomers are counting on an inheritance.’ The Rage ain’t no economist or family planner but must say that a will is a terrible thing to waste. (Ledger’s will dates back to 2003 and makes no provisions for his daughter.) Also, over the next 50 years, $41 trillion dollars will be bequeathed, according to the Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy. Now, that could amount to a whole lot of family feuds.

photo: Gary Friedman for LA Times.