NEW YORK CITY, NY  --  Michelle Williams, the former fiancée of deceased Australian actor Heath Ledger broke her silence Friday, saying her "heart is broken" in her first statement since the "Brokeback Mountain" actor's death.

"Please respect our need to grieve privately," Williams said in a statement. "My heart is broken. I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father."

Williams is expected to travel to Australia to attend Ledger's funeral in his hometown Perth. Williams, 27, and Ledger met on the set of "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005, fell in love and had a daughter, Matilda, who is now two years old.

They lived together in New York and even though rumors said they were planning to marry, the couple actually never officially confirmed an engagement. Williams and Ledger split up in September, 2007.

Ledger, 28, died in his Manhattan apartment Jan. 22. Authorities suspect a possible drug overdose, but the cause of his death is still pending the outcome of toxicology tests. Police said several prescription drugs were found in the Manhattan apartment where the actor's body was found.

"All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day," Williams said. "His family and I watch Matilda as she whispers to trees, hugs animals, and takes steps two at a time, and we know that he is with us still. She will be brought up with the best memories of him."

Last update: 02-01-2008 14:56