I can’t believe that she isn’t swimming somewhere now" — Vanessa Redgrave on late daughter Natasha Richardson's birthday
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Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson (Photo: Everett Collection)Actress Vanessa Redgrave recently reflected on daughter Natasha Richardson's passing in a rare statement. On Sunday, May 11, what would have been Natasha's 62nd birthday, her sister Joely Richardson shared Redgrave's heartfelt message in an Instagram post.
In the caption, Joely explained that she asked her mother "if she'd like to say anything" publicly. Quoting Redgrave, she wrote:
"(Natasha) came swimming out of my womb ready for anything. I can’t believe that she isn’t swimming somewhere now, in one of the pools or seas we explored."
Noting the "pain" of losing a child, she continued:
"I will never be reconciled to her dying in the snow, and I’m sure that every mother who has lost a child will have that pain always."
Natasha Richardson passed away in March 2009 after a skiing accident at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada. She was on vacation with her husband, Liam Neeson, and their two sons, Micheál, 29, and Daniel, 28.
Vanessa Redgrave named Natasha Richardson after a character from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace.
In the Instagram post, Vanessa Redgrave recalled how she and her then-husband, Tony Richardson (he passed away in 1991), named Natasha. She explained that during a trip to Greece, they were having coffee at the Constitution Square when Tony stated that if they had a boy, they should call him "Tom."
Meanwhile, Redgrave added that if it were a girl, she wanted her to be called Natasha after the character from Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. Frequently called one of the grandest of the Russian author's creations, Natasha, a.k.a. Countess Natalya Ilyinichna Rostova, played a central role in the book. She is described as lively and spontaneous.
Joely's post included three pictures featuring Natasha Richardson with her mother and sister over the years. Celebrities and fans expressed their love for the family in the comments. This included Julianne Moore, Olivia Munn, and Andy Cohen.
Back in 2021, Natasha Richardson's The Parent Trap co-star Lindsay Lohan shared a sweet message for the actress. In an IG post featuring a still from the film, Lohan wrote:
"Happy Birthday Angel #natasharichardson"
Richardson has starred in films like Gothic, Patty Hearst, and Waking Up in Reno. She also was a theater actress with credits like Anna Christie, A Streetcar Named Desire, and Cabaret to her name. The latter role earned her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
On March 16, 2009, Natasha Richardson suddenly passed away after a skiing accident Mont Tremblant resort near Montreal in Canada, where she was on a holiday with her husband and two sons. The incident occurred during a private lesson while she was on a beginner's trail.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the actress initially declined medical attention, thinking the injury was not serious. Hours later, she complained of a bad headache and was flown to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City for further care. She died two days later. Per the outlet, she died from an epidural hematoma (bleeding between the brain and skull). Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson had been married for over a decade at the time.
Over the last few months, Joely Richardson has shared several posts reminiscing about times with Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha Richardson. This included a photo of the latter "back in the day, her happy place, buying produce" at a French market in April and one of the sisters with Dame Joan Ann Plowright as teenagers in February.
TOPICS: Natasha Richardson, Joely Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave