A life insurance company is balking at making a $10 million payout to Heath Ledger’s nearly 3-year-old daughter Matilda, lawyers for the child claim.

ReliaStar Life Insurance Co. first wants to investigate whether Ledger died by suicide, which would allow the insurer not to pay, says attorney John LaViolette, representing Matilda’s estate, who filed a lawsuit in July.

According to the coroner, the actor died at age 28 from an accidental overdose.

“There’s no evidence out there we know of to remotely suggest the death was a suicide,” says lawyer William Shernoff, who is working with LaViolette on the case. “We think it’s more of stalling tactic than anything else.”

“Given the very private and personal nature of the life insurance business and our decision to protect the privacy of policyholder, it wouldn’t be appropriate to discuss any specific detail on this process or the policy,” says Ripley.

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Mary-Kate Olsen doesn’t know where Heath Ledger got the drugs that killed him, and has already provided investigators with “relevant information,” her lawyer says in a statement.

“Despite tabloid speculation, Mary-Kate Olsen had nothing whatsoever to do with the drugs found in Heath Ledger’s home or his body, and she does not know where he obtained them,” said the statement from attorney Michael C. Miller on Monday.

The statement was released following a report, confirmed by PEOPLE, that Olsen, 22, wants immunity from prosecution before she will cooperate with a federal investigation into close friend Ledger’s death from an accidental overdose.

“Regarding the government’s investigation, at Ms. Olsen’s request, we have provided the government with relevant information including facts in the chronology of events surrounding Mr. Ledger’s death and the fact that Ms. Olsen does not know the source of the drugs Mr. Ledger consumed,” the statement from her attorney continues.

The statement concludes: “We don’t know the source of the information being quoted in the media regarding the government’s inquiry, but these descriptions are incomplete and inaccurate.”

Mary-Kate Olsen wants immunity from prosecution before she will cooperate with a federal investigation into close friend Heath Ledger’s accidental overdose death, PEOPLE has confirmed.

Investigators could subpoena the 22-year-old actress but hope to work this out, a law enforcement source said Monday.

Olsen’s publicist and lawyer didn’t immediately comment.

Ledger, 28, was found in the bedroom of his New York apartment Jan. 22 by his housekeeper and a masseuse who had arrived for an appointment with the actor. The masseuse called Olsen before calling 911, police said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s probe into whether Ledger was over-prescribed medicine began shortly after his death. An autopsy revealed he had prescription pain, anxiety and sleep medications in his system and the combination killed him.

Federal investigators conducted interviews, including one of Ledger’s ex-girlfriend, Michelle Williams, the source said.

The only person left to interview is Olsen, the source said.

“We are also still waiting for information from pharmacy purchases by Ledger in Italy and England,” the source said.

Olsen’s desire for immunity was first reported by the New York Post.

Heath Ledger’s death on Jan. 22 was due to an accidental mixture of prescription drugs, New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner has concluded.

“Mr. Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Diazepam, Temazepam, Alprazolam, and Doxylamine,” said an announcement released Wednesday morning by office spokeswoman Ellen Borakove.

Oxycodone is a painkiller, Hydrocodone is also known as Vicodin, Diazepam is commonly called Valium, Temazepam treats anxiety or sleeplessness, Alprazolam is known as Xanax, and Doxylamine is a sedating antihistamine often used as a sleep aid.

Dr. Michael Hunter, a prominent forensic pathologist not involved in the Ledger matter, tells PEOPLE that the combination of the powerful drugs most likely caused “poly-drug intoxication” which led to respiratory arrest. “His breathing probably got slower and slower until it stopped all together,” he said.

Hunter also said it is highly unlikely a doctor would have allowed Ledger to take all the different types of drugs in his system (though another doctor, Vatsal Thakkar, a psychiatrist at NYU Medical Center, tells PEOPLE that it could be “sloppy prescribing”). Either way, “This is a dangerous mixture of drugs,” said Hunter. “We are seeing more and more people dying of poly-drug intoxication from prescription drugs and it usually a combination of the narcotic-type drugs seen here.”

Hunter said it’s important to note that the Medical Examiner officially ruled the death an accident, which means they must have ruled out suicide. He also said they officially determined his death was caused by the “abuse” of prescription drugs, which is telling.

“When they use the term abuse it tells us that he used drugs to obtain an intoxicant effect and not for a therapeutic reason. They must have determined through their investigation that the drugs were not for therapeutic use.”

The actor, 28, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment on Jan. 22. Authorities said at the time that they did not suspect foul play but that medication was found near the body. (Six medications, including anti-anxiety medications and sleeping pills, were found near the body.)

His blockbuster film The Dark Knight is obliterating box office records, but Christian Bale says the tally is secondary to the audience’s enthusiastic embrace of his late costar Heath Ledger.

“It’s satisfying to see people celebrating the incredible talent of Heath,” Bale said of Ledger’s performance as the villainous Joker. “I just want him to be recognized.”

While the film has earned $300 million in just 10 days, “I would have been happy with this movie even if it hadn’t broken so many box office records,” Bale told audience members at the film’s Tokyo premiere Monday. “I’m used to being in movies that five people go to!”

Adding that The Dark Knight “really raised the bar,” Bale was quick to point out that much of the success was due to Ledger.

“%26#91;We were%26#93; looking for an actor with the fierceness, excitement and teeth to do our version of the Joker,” Nolan continued. “It’s very different.”

Bale deflected a question about how he’s been holding up since his London arrest, explaining “The fans are not here for me. They’re here for the movie. It speaks for itself.”

Heath Ledger’s father is helping one of his friends follow through with plans to open a Brooklyn restaurant-bar in which the late actor had been a silent partner.

At the time of his death in January, the actor was working on plans to open a bar and restaurant in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn, his friend and business partner Jud Mongell tells PEOPLE.

The nautical-themed eatery is still set to open later this summer thanks to Ledger’s father, Kim, who agreed to continue funding the venture after taking over his son’s estate.

Many of Heath’s cronies have already given the restaurant their blessing. His Australian friends who flew into New York City for the Dark Knight premiere visited last week to connect with some of Heath’s local friends. “Kim is happy that we all have a hub,” Mongell said.

According to Mongell, Heath was very involved with plans for the restaurant, drawing early floor plans, handpicking designers and artists, even pitching potential names. (Possibilities include BrightSide and Five Leaves).

Heath Found Locale

The restaurant’s location, on a street corner across from McCarren Park, was also chosen by Ledger while he and Mongell were out skateboarding.

“I showed him other spots and he wouldn’t look at anything else. He liked this corner,” Mongell said. “He envisioned basically just hanging out at the park across the street. He was a big fan of Williamsburg.”

The nightlife and hospitality blog Down By The Hipster first broke the news with an exclusive photo tour of the in-progress restaurant.

A posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger for his Joker performance?

“I would vote for him,” his Dark Knight cstar Maggie Gyllenhaal told reporters Monday at the film’s London premiere.

Gyllenhaal, 30, said of Ledger’s Oscar prospects that the “degree of difficulty should be incorporated into the award.”

“To be that incredible in a movie that’s this huge, that’s about so many things, is really an accomplishment,” she said. “In a way I feel funny thinking about the Oscars when he isn’t alive, but at the same time I’m a member of the Academy and I would vote for him.”

She said of Ledger’s performance: “In order to be a good actor you have to find a place where you are free, but it’s very unusual to be absolutely free in the way that he was in this movie It was inspiring working with him.”

At the premiere - which featured a 2.5 ton replica of the Batmobile, shooting flames - fans carried signs and banners campaigning for an Oscar for Ledger.

Michael Caine, who plays Batman’s butler Alfred, told reporters he “would pay good money” to see a performance that could top Ledger’s for the Oscar. Previously Caine said Ledger was worthy of nomination.

It’s a haunting Hollywood story: Five months after his untimely death from an accidental drug overdose, Heath Ledger delivers arguably his best screen performance ever in the box-office blockbuster Batman adventure The Dark Knight.

PEOPLE’s review calls him “fearless” as the Joker and notes that his role “helps make The Dark Knight unforgettable.” And with a record-breaking $158.3 million take at the box office this weekend, the film - and Ledger’s role in it - have become a part of movie history.

Just how powerful was his performance? Said his costar Michael Caine earlier this month: “I think Heath will surely get a posthumous nomination for an Academy Award.”

Tell us: How do you think Heath Ledger might fare come Hollywood’s awards season?

In case you haven’t heard - or witnessed at any cineplex this weekend - The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s dark sequel about the Caped Crusader, took in $158.3 million since Friday.

Speaking on Britain’s GMTV Monday morning, the star of the picture, Christian Bale of the impressive box-office take: “It’s Monopoly money to me - I can’t even comprehend it.”

Along with a hearty $27.6 million opening take for Mamma Mia - the best ever for a musical, topping last year’s Hairspray opening - this turned out to be the best three-day weekend in Hollywood history.

The Dark Knight’s haul also exceeds the $151.1 million Spider-Man 3 made its May 2007 opening weekend. Buoyed by mostly rave notices - including PEOPLE’s review - and Oscar buzz about Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker, Bale’s second outing as Batman is expected to make $220 million in its first week alone - already more than Nolan’s first reboot, Batman Begins, made in its entire U.S. run, reports Variety.

Overseas, the movie was on track to perform similarly, making a strong $40 million on 4,500 screens in 20 territories, breaking the Australian weekend opening for a superhero movie ($13.1 million) and Brazil’s best opening this year ($4.3 million).

Women Went to See Streep

As expected, Mamma Mia, starring Meryl Streep, appealed to women - who made up an estimated 75 percent of its audience - making the bubbly ABBA musical a excellent complement to The Dark Knight’s brooding action flick.

There just wasn’t enough for two blockbuster superhero sequels in theaters, though. Hellboy II: The Golden Army dropped a precipitous 71 percent from last weekend’s top spot to fifth place, while Will Smith’s Hancock stayed in the fight at third place. And Star Chimps took in a relatively measly $7.1 million for its opening, earning it seventh place.

Heath Ledger’s family attended Monday’s The Dark Knight premiere in New York, where the late actor’s father left the theater giving a thumbs-up sign.

Kim Ledger and his wife Ines - Heath’s stepmother - bypassed the red carpet and ducked into the theater to watch his late son play The Joker in the latest Batman film.

Also attending the premiere were Heath’s mother Sally Bell and her husband, and Heath’s older sister, Kate.

Heath Ledger’s costars, meanwhile, used the occasion to pay tribute to him.

“Working with Heath was fantastic,” said Christian Bale, 34, who reprises his role as the Caped Crusader. “He steals the movie and I’m quite happy to say that. He’s a hell of a talent and created a joker that’s very iconic and one that will become a classic portrayal of the ages.”

Michael Caine, 75, who plays butler Alfred Pennyworth in the film, which opens July 18, noted the “intensity and ferocity of the performance.”

“But when we were sitting down between takes, he was completely ordinary,” Caine added. “He wasn’t preparing himself or saying ‘Please leave me alone, I’ve gotta do this.’ Instead he was talking to me.

“We would sit and chat and have a cup of coffee, then suddenly they’d say, ‘We’re ready, Heath,’ and he’d go straight into The Joker,” Caine continued. “His energy was astonishing, especially when it came from this kind of calm. He’s certainly the best villain I’ve ever seen.”

Melbourne-based Robert Collins, a Ledger family friend for 30 years and co-executor of the Ledger will, told Who magazine in Australia he saw The Dark Knight preview in Perth last night and described it as “a eerie feeling” watching him.

“I am aware that Kim Ledger and the family are over in New York for it, it was something they felt they had to do and it was a personal thing from their point of view,” said Collins.

Ledger, who died of an accidental prescription-drug overdose on Jan. 22 has garnered Oscar buzz for his role as the smiley yet sinister Joker. Anticipation for The Dark Knight has been at a fever pitch with midnight shows having sold out so quickly that theater owners have had to continue adding 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. showtimes.

• Additional reporting by IVORY JEFF CLINTON and RYAN PIENCIAK