Entertainment Tonight and The Insider never had a chance to air their artfully touted drug video of late actor Heath Ledger, after the Hollywood community rallied against such “shameful exploitation.”

Entertainment Tonight and The Insider were in possession of a controversial two-year-old video allegedly proving Heath Ledger’s drug problem. They planned to air the video this week and showed an edited clip from it in advance, to give the public a taste, before “something” took place that made the programs change their minds.

A statement has been posted on their websites stating the footage would not be broadcast.

“Out of respect for Heath Ledger's family, ‘Entertainment Tonight’ and ‘The Insider’ have decided not to run the Heath Ledger video which has been circulating in the world media.”

The “something” that is speculated to have taken place in media reports is a certain amount of pressure from Ledger’s publicity company, who received support in their goal to stop the broadcast of the tape from other PR agencies and Hollywood stars.

The video, supposedly made in late January 2006 at the Chateau Marmont hotel on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, shows Ledger at a party as he talks about his use of cannabis and how he is going to get in trouble with his girlfriend (former fiancée Michelle Williams) for being at the party.

An unidentified man is shown apparently snorting cocaine, but people who have seen the whole video say Ledger is never shown taking any kind of drug, as the teaser aired by the programs suggested.

In fact, the young actor is heard saying he had not smoked marijuana in a while and that he has a daughter now, Matilda, implying that fatherhood and drugs do not go together. “That's why I got this tattoo [an M, for daughter Matilda] to remind me never to smoke weed again,” he says according to reports.

Ledger’s former agency, ID PR, circulated a statement earlier this week, calling the shows’ intended use of the video “shameful exploitation of the lowest kind” and accusing it of hoping to stir up “a salacious and exploitative story about Heath.”

The firm also represents Michelle Williams, “Brokeback Mountain” costar and friend Jake Gyllenhaal, as well as Robin Williams and Natalie Portman.

Ledger, 28, died in his Manhattan apartment on January 22nd. Results of toxicology tests carried out by medical examiners, which will determine the cause of death, are expected within days.

His body has been flown home to Australia for a private burial.