Ledger's life insurance money goes to his daughter Matilda

Los Angeles, March 17: The late Australian actor Heath Ledger's toddler daughter, Matilda Rose, has been officially named the sole beneficiary of his life insurance policy on Friday.

In a 30-minute Los Angeles court hearing on Friday, it was ruled that Ledger`s three-year-old daughter Matilda will be the sole benefactor of his life insurance policy, which the actor had took out few months before his death.

Following the hearing, Matilda’s custodian John Laviolette and lawyer William Shernoff emerged from Superior Court Judge Luis Lavin`s chambers wearing smiles.

"It is finalised and everybody is mutually happy," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Laviolette, as saying.

When asked if the money would go to Ledger’s minor daughter, Shernoff replied: "Yes. Everyone is happy".

The Dark Knight star had died on Jan. 22, 2008, from an accidental drug overdose in his Manhattan apartment he was renting. He was found dead by his housekeeper and massage therapist in a bedroom. Sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs were also found at the site. There were no illegal drugs.

Later, an autopsy by the New York Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the actor died from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs, including painkillers and sleeping pills.

Just seven months prior to his death, Ledger had took out the life insurance policy, in which he named Matilda as the soul benefactor.

But, the Minnesota-based insurance company ReliaStar declined to pay the 10 million U.S. dollars life insurance money to anyone, claiming the actor's death might have been a suicide, even though officials concluded it was due to the accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

Matilda’s lawyer then responded to the ReliaStar Life Insurance Company’s delay to pay the money with a lawsuit, claiming the ING Americas-owned company has acted in bad faith by not promptly paying the $10 million and by wrongfully prying into the life of the actor after his death.

Later, Shernoff and ReliaStar's lawyer Margaret Levy announced they reached a confidential settlement.

Matilda lives with her mother, actress and Ledger’s former fiancee Michelle Williams, in Brooklyn, New York.