In a move that's unlikely to bring him any closer to a family reunion, Michelle Williams' estranged father has challenged the Ledger family's handling of Heath's estate, questioning the validity of court papers listing the late actor's New York assets as worth just $145,000.
The family feuding comes just a week after two of the actor's uncles voiced their concerns about Heath's father, Kim, being executor of the estate. They claimed they stepped forward only after being approached by Williams' father, Larry, inquiring about Kim's capabilities.
Over the weekend, Larry Williams, a stockbroker currently residing in Australia and battling long-pending extradition proceedings to the U.S., where he is wanted on charges of allegedly failing to pay $1.5 million in federal taxes, addressed the burgeoning battle.
"It's real simple: Just come clean with everything," Williams told Australia's Sunday Telegraph in a challenge to Kim Ledger. "It's so easy to resolve this. He just has to say where the income went and where the assets are."
Williams told the paper he has not spoken to Michelle in some time and does not have a close relationship with the actress, and therefore was not acting on her behalf. He also said he understood the Ledger family was going through a rough time and did not wish to add to their troubles, simply to gain clarity.
"I'm certain that there is grieving in the Ledger family, but [lawyers for] Kim have already filed papers in New York, so it seems like it's time to be transparent about it...I have no idea what Heath Ledger was worth [but] they certainly haven't stated all of the assets to the court."
Among the assets logged with the New York state court: furniture and fixtures worth $20,000, a Toyota Prius worth $25,000 and $100,000 in miscellaneous bank accounts. The papers did not include any assets Ledger may have held outside the state.
Williams said he was suspicious of the relative speed in which the will was entered into probate court in New York in February, just a month after the 28-year-old Oscar nominee succumbed to an accidental overdose of prescription medications.
"It's my understanding that you have six months to file in the United States, so there was no rush," Williams said. "There was plenty of time to sit down with lawyers for Michelle. It's not the way I would have handled it."
While the Ledger family has yet to respond to Williams' statements, Kim did issue a statement following the publication of Heath's will, saying that both Michelle Williams and daughter Matilda would be "taken care of." The document was drafted prior to Heath's relationship with his Brokeback Mountain costar and the birth of their child.