Hollywood A-listers pressure TV shows to nix Ledger drug video

Washington, Feb 1 : Continuous pressure from some of Hollywood's biggest names forced Entertainment Tonight and The Insider to nix a video allegedly showing Heath Ledger on a drugs binge, it has been revealed.

Stars including Scarlett Johannson, Josh Brolin and Natalie Portman made fervent pleas to the two top American TV programs, asking them not to cash in on the Aussie actor's sudden death.

Insiders are also claiming that the shows were told bluntly that many of the world's leading stars would boycott them if they continued broadcasting the Heath Ledger video.

The two celebrity gossip programs, which got the tape solely for an estimated 200,000 dollars, first aired the controversial video in New York and the east coast of America on Jan 31.

However, they pulled the tape from their scheduled broadcasts on the US west coast and Hollywood area.

"Out of respect for Heath Ledger's family, Entertainment Tonight has decided not to run the Heath Ledger video being released to the world media today," People quoted Entertainment Tonight, as saying in a statement.

The video, which was reportedly shot at a party following the Screen Actors Guild awards on January 29, 2006, shows Ledger talking after sniffing a "cocaine-like" substance off a table with a rolled up bill in his hand.

ANI