Two of Hollywood actor Heath Ledger's uncles have suggested Heath's father might mishandle his son's sizable estate, according to U.S. media reports Thursday.
Mike and Hayden Ledger expressed concerns about their brother, Kim's ability of managing the actor's estate, saying he should not be in charge of handling his son's assets because of the terrible job he did managing their father's estate.
Hayden Ledger told the media when the actor's ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams' father asked him if Kim was capable of overseeing the assets, "I just said, 'No, not if he handles it like ours.'"
"Our only vested interest is to assure that Matilda is well looked after," Mike Ledger, another uncle, said.
"When you are talking about large sums of money like this," Mike said, "it should be an independent executor, but Kim hasn't chosen that way."
The actor's uncles said that under Kim's stewardship, their father's estate, once valued at over 2 million U.S. dollars, plunged into huge debt, and Kim was eventually removed as the executor.
Heath, who died in New York in January from an accidental prescription drug overdose, didn't update his will to provide for his 2-year-old daughter, Matilda, with his ex Williams.
The actor left everything to his parents and sisters. But Kim has said that Williams and Matilda would be taken care of.
The media reports said that the brothers have been estranged from Kim for years and weren't invited to the Heath Ledger's funeral or memorial service.
(Xinhua/Agencies March 20, 2008)