Michelle Williams makes 1st public appearence since Ledger's death

Michelle Williams made her first major public appearance since the death of Heath Ledger at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday.

The former Dawson's Creek actress - who was left devastated by the news her ex-fiance had died after an accidental drug overdose in January - sparkled on the red carpet at the prestigious French event for the premiere of her new film Wendy and Lucy.

A representative for the film said: "It was decided on Monday night she could come to Cannes, and she got on the next plane to arrive just in time to get dressed and come to our premiere. She came in and had a long nap and then came to the screening."

Michelle - who was dressed in a vintage Chanel Haute Couture dress - will fly back to the US at the weekend where she will continue work on her latest movie Shutter Island in Boston.

In her first public statement in February about Heath's tragic death, Michelle - who has a two-year-old daughter Matilda with the actor - expressed her heartache but said her little girl was helping her get through it.

She said: "I am the mother of the most tender-hearted, high-spirited, beautiful little girl who is the spitting image of her father. All that I can cling to is his presence inside her that reveals itself every day."

Heath and Michelle met on the set of Brokeback Mountain in 2004 and Matilda was born in October 2005.

The couple split in September 2007.

Via stuff.co.nz