Julia Stiles Got Permission from Michelle Williams Before Heath Ledger Dedication Dance on ‘Dancing with the Stars’

Julia Stiles is opening up about her emotional “Dedication Night” dance on Dancing with the Stars.

During the Tuesday (October 20), the 45-year-old actress and her partner Ezra Sosa performed a danced honoring her late 10 Things I Hate About You co-star Heath Ledger.

At the end of her dance, Julia was joined out on the dancefloor by her and Heath‘s former co-stars Joseph Gordon Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Andrew Keegan, Susan May Pratt, and Gabrielle Union.

While speaking with Extra TV after the episode, Julia revealed that she asked Heath‘s former girlfriend Michelle Williams for permission before performing the dance.

“I did ask Michelle if this was OK and she said yes,” Julia said.

Heath and Michelle, 46, met in 2004 on set of Brokeback Mountain and started dating soon after. The following year, they welcomed daughter Matilda, who will be turning 21 later this month.

The pair split in 2007 and Heath died of an accidental overdose in January 2008. He was 28-years-old.

Julia also shared how they decided to incorporate the other cast members into the performance.

“When we decided we were going to do the dedication, we needed to have somebody here to sort of represent the movie and represent Heath,” Julia explained. “I was like, ‘It has to be the whole cast, it can’t just be one person, it’s got to be everybody.’”

In an interview last year, Michelle shared some very rare comments about Heath and their relationship.

Via: Just Jared