It's barely been a week since the talented Australian actor Heath Ledger passed away, and already ugly stories are emerging about the actor, hundreds and hundreds of possible scenarios and speculations that claim Heath was everything from a drug addict to a hopelessly depressed, pill-popping drunk who refused to commit himself to rehab and was doing drugs behind his girlfriend's back.

The really heartbreaking fact is that some of these speculations are unfortunately true and, in a truly disgusting move, two media outlets, Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, are said to have acquired a video of Heath doing drugs at a party that took place at the Chateau Marmont shortly before his death and are planning to broadcasting the video on one of their shows.

The fact that Heath Ledger was doing drugs - and not just smoking pot, but serious drugs such as heroin and cocaine - is regrettable and extremely sad. But broadcasting a video of him doing drugs barely a couple of weeks after his untimely death is already taking things to a whole new level. I mean, the man is dead - if he was alive, maybe such a video would have had more of an impact, in the sense that maybe it would have made him become aware of his problem and seek help, like it happened in many other cases.

Maybe if Heath still lived, he would have seen the horrible consequences of his recorded drug use and maybe there would have been a purpose to all the media circus. But is there a point to such a disgusting display of extreme voyeurism after the actor's death? Did anyone consider the fact that for most of us, heath dying is already old news, but for his family the ordeal is just beginning?

The latest news indicated that both Entertainment Tonight and The Insider have apparently realized that broadcasting the video would not have been such a good idea, and have issued a statement, saying that "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". Good thinking - especially after they already broadcast a preview of the tape that showed enough of its content quite explicit for the public.

No word from Heath's family about the video, but Michelle Williams' representative issued a statement denying much of the rumors going round that claimed Heath's former fiancée tried to get the actor committed to a rehab facility in 2006. "Much of the tabloid reporting is inaccurate. This fabricated story of Michelle Williams attempting to bring Heath Ledger to rehab is just one lie among many. The speculation is heinous. Let this family grieve privately". Yeah, like that's going to happen.