Mary-Kate Olsen's silence on Ledger’s death
She reportedly wants immunity before talking, but why?
What happened
Actress Mary-Kate Olsen is refusing to be questioned by investigators about the accidental drug overdose of her close friend Heath Ledger unless she receives immunity from prosecution, according to the New York Post. Olsen was the first person contacted after Ledger’s body was found, but instead of calling 911, she allegedly called her bodyguards and told them to rush to Ledger’s home.
What the commentators said
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Olsen’s “lawyers must believe she has some criminal exposure,” said TheImproper.com, or they wouldn’t be asking for immunity. Olsen must have either "supplied some of the drugs that Ledger ingested,” or “she could be criminally negligent" for failing to call paramedics immediately.
Is Olsen “worried about” being charged with something “nefarious—like tampering with a crime scene?” said Ryan Tate in Gawker. Maybe, but maybe “Olsen’s alleged request is more routine, a pro forma form of legal hardball designed to bring authorities into contact on the most favorable terms possible.”
Consider the source, said Neel Shah in Radar Online. “The Post has called for Olsen to be interviewed ever since the NYPD denied the paper’s scoop that the former Full House star received a series of frantic calls from the masseuse.” Isn’t it possible that Olsen might “be the victim of a vicious case of press harassment because a paper blew a scoop?”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
July 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include new TSA rules, FEMA cuts, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy complimenting Donald Trump's new wardrobe
-
5 weather-beaten cartoons about the Texas floods
Cartoons Artists take on funding cuts, politicizing tragedy, and more
-
What has the Dalai Lama achieved?
The Explainer Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader has just turned 90, and he has been clarifying his reincarnation plans