British tabloids are reporting that Heath Ledger had been battling substance abuse problems – including an addiction to heroin – for some time before he was found dead in a SOHO Manhattan apartment on Tuesday of an apparent drug overdose.

“He was a big-time druggie—he OD’d,” a friend of the late actor reveals to the press.

It is Heath’s rumored drug use that reportedly led to the demise of his relationship with former fiancee, Michelle Williams.

“He had a stint in rehab late last year when he was treated for heroin,” a spy for The Daily Mail reveals.