Heath Ledger's sister lays those Joker rumors to rest

For years, the role that won Heath Ledger his posthumous Oscar in 2009 was thought to be the role that killed him. Ledger died in 2008 of a drug overdose after filming The Dark Knight and allegedly immersing himself in the twisted role (a technique Jared Leto would later adopt). At a screening of the upcoming I Am Heath Ledger at Tribeca Film Festival, Ledger's sister addressed the intense toll of the part -- or lack thereof.

“Everything that came to light about the Joker, we were all so confused,” Kate Ledger told EW and People editor Jess Cagle.

“Honestly, it was the absolute opposite,” she said. “He had an amazing sense of humor, and I guess maybe only his close family and friends really knew that, but he was having fun. He wasn’t depressed about the Joker.”

Kate Ledger and sister Ashleigh Bell said the idea of the Joker's darkness enveloping Heath was "so not true."

“I hope it’s an antidote to a lot of the gossip that exists in the world," executive producer Matt Amato, a friend of Ledger's, said of the film. "And there’s some really terrible things about Heath out there,” he said.

I Am Heath Ledger premieres May 17 on Spike and for DVD and digital download on May 23.