NEW YORK (AP) -- Michelle Williams broke her silence Friday, saying her "heart is broken" over Heath Ledger in her first statement since the "Brokeback Mountain" actor's death.

The 27-year-old actress and Ledger became a couple during filming of 2005's "Brokeback," in which they costarred as husband and wife.

They later settled in New York, and had a daughter, Matilda, born October 2005.

"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. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day."

Ledger, 28, died in his Manhattan apartment January 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.

"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," Williams said. "She will be brought up in the best memories of him."