Jack Nicholson “Warned” Heath

Jack Nicholson, who took on the iconic role of Joker in the 1989 film, “Batman,” made a vague statement in reaction to the news of Heath Ledger’s death. He said simply, “I warned him.” Like Nicholson, Heath had also donned the clownish-face paint as the character of Joker for the upcoming Batman film, “The Dark Knight.” Just to clarify, these pictures weren’t necessarily taken during that particular interchange with Jack and reporters. The guy’s probably got a pretty twisted sense of humor, but I doubt that it’s so twisted that he was goofing off with a cigarette while talking about Heath Ledger.

Additionally, it’s being reported that since his break-up from Michelle Williams, Heath had become increasingly more withdrawn and a source revealed to the Daily Mail that the actor had had a brief stint in rehab for heroin last year. According to the source, “She was very much in love with him, but the fact he continued to dabble in drugs kept their relationship from being one she could rely on.”

Ang Lee’s reaction to the news of Heath’s death was much less cryptic than Jack’s, with the “Brokeback Mountain” director describing the loss as “heartbreaking.” He elaborated on his experiences working with Heath by saying, “He brought to the role of Ennis more than any of us could have imagined - a thirst for life, for love, and for truth, and a vulnerability that made everyone who knew him love him.”

Photos: Bauer-Griffin Online