New York ? It was a striking example of Hollywood protecting its own: After an aggressive lobby from powerful film industry figures, “Entertainment Tonight” decided against airing a video that shows the late Heath Ledger hanging out at a party where drugs were being taken.

The show said it pulled the story “out of respect for Heath Ledger’s family.” But don’t discount the effect of a lightning-fast campaign launched by a public relations firm that represents many of the stars “Entertainment Tonight” depends upon for stories.

Even some celebrities themselves – Natalie Portman and Sarah Jessica Parker, to name a couple – called to urge “ET” to pull the plug.

Ledger, 28, died in his Manhattan apartment Jan. 22. Authorities suspect a possible drug overdose, but the cause of his death is still pending the outcome of toxicology tests. Police said several prescription drugs – but nothing illegal – were found in the Manhattan apartment where the “Brokeback Mountain” actor’s body was found.

“Entertainment Tonight” is hardly the lone news organization to broach the topic of potential drug abuse by the star. But the video it acquired, reportedly taken two years ago at a party at the Chateau Marmont Hotel, drew the fiercest attention.

The syndicated magazine’s sister show, “The Insider,” aired a “preview” of the story that it had planned to run Thursday that actually showed several segments of the video. Following the protest, “The Insider” yanked the segment from the West Coast version of its telecast.

Ledger is seen standing in the doorway of a room where the party was taking place, swigging from a beer bottle. The actor is heard saying that he was “going to get serious (word bleeped) from my girlfriend” for being at the party.

The show made clear that there was nothing on the video showing Ledger taking any drug. At one point, however, the then-26-year-old said he “used to smoke five joints a day.”

Later, with Ledger in the background, an unidentified man, his face blurred, seems to snort cocaine from a table.

After seeing a promotion for the show Wednesday, a publicist at ID, Ledger’s public relations firm, called “Entertainment Tonight” and asked that the segment be pulled. The request was refused.

ID then composed a three-paragraph protest letter that it distributed to some 30 other public relations firms around Hollywood, asking them to tell their clients about what was about to happen. The circle included powerhouse publicists like PMK-HBH, 42 West and BWR.

The letter said “ET” had paid a large sum of money for the video to stir up an exploitive story about Ledger.

“For the sake of his grieving family and friends, his child and common decency, we hope to pressure ‘Entertainment Tonight’ and ‘The Insider’ to do the right thing and pull the spot,” the letter said. “This is not journalism, it is sensationalism. It is a shameful exploitation of the lowest kind, to a talented and gentle soul, undeserving of such treatment.”

Stars, studio executives and PR firms all called “ET” to register protests, said Kelly Bush, CEO of ID. The star-studded roster of Bush’s firm alone includes Robin Williams, Sean Penn, Tobey Maguire, Mike Myers, Jennifer Hudson, Katie Holmes, Ellen DeGeneres and Ledger’s “Brokeback” co-star Jake Gyllenhaal.