Stars and Scandals

Film: The Dark Knight

What: As you and everyone you've ever known learned within seconds of his body's discovery (thanks, Google Alerts), the Aussie heartthrob was discovered dead in his Manhattan apartment on January 22nd. The official cause of death? A messy cocktail of prescription drugs, including oxycodone and diazepam. (Ledger, it seems, was depressed.) The events not only commandeered the news cycle, but also forced Warner Brothers to radically restructure promotions for The Dark Knight -- not to mention axe the Joker from any of the franchise's future films.

Chance for recovery: None, sadly, although we wouldn't be surprised if he won a posthumous Oscar for his portrayal of the villain.