Rumours of Heath Ledger's drug dependance continue to swirl throughout the entertainment world, with one of America's best-known addiction experts labelling the late actor a drug addict.
According to LA-based Dr Drew Pinksy, the Aussie's drug habit was an open secret in Hollywood.
“There were people who were very concerned about his drug use in this town before he died,” he told AAP.
Pinksy, despite never having had any dealings with Ledger, was firm in his belief that his narcotic intake prior his death indicates he was a drug addict.
" I’ve never seen a patient die of that kind of reckless combination of medicine that wasn’t a drug addict," said Pinksy.
It is believed Ledger's drug use was a major factor behind his split with former partner Michelle Williams.
Ledger's final autopsy found that the actor died in his Manhattan apartment following an accidental overdose of a number of drugs including painkillers, anti-anxiety pills and sleeping tablets.