Joely Richardson Breaks Silence on Death of Natasha

By PopEater Staff Posted Dec 8th 2009 09:20AM

'Nip/Tuck' actress Joely Richardson is speaking out for the first time about coping with the loss of her big sister Natasha, who died eight months ago following a skiing accident. She was 45. The Richardson sisters didn't have that much in common, but in the end were "enmeshed in each other."

"I hadn't lived a day in my life without her," she told Tatler magazine this week (via the Daily Mail), "You worry about your children and your elders, but I never imagined such a thing as this. Tash was a given to me."

Natasha Richardson suffered a head injury March 16 while skiing in Canada after falling during a ski lesson. Her death two days later was described by doctors as due to "epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head." She is survived by husband Liam Neeson and their two sons.

"The shock shatters you on a cellular level," Joely, 44, recalls of learning of her sister's death, "it takes time for the pieces to come back together."

The day after Natasha's funeral, Joely went back to work on the set of a BBC production of 'The Day of the Triffids.' Her grief had a great impact on her performance, she says.

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Joely Richardson Pics

The Redgrave-Richardson-Neeson family posed for a group photo at Natasha's funeral in New York on March 22.

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Joely Richardson Snapshots

SANTA MONICA, CA - JUNE 07: Actress Joely Richardson arrives at the 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards on June 7, 2009 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Valerie Macon/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joely Richardson

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Actress Joely Richardson speaks onstage at Hollywood Life's 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage on June 7, 2009 in Santa Monica, California. Hollywood Life's 11th Annual Young Hollywood Awards - Show The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage Santa Monica, California United States June 7, 2009 Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage.com To license this image (57629779), contact WireImage.com

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(L-R) Actress Vanessa Redgrave, Micheal Neeson (3rd-L), Joely Richardson (6th-L), Daisy Bevan (7th-L), Daniel Neeson (2nd-L) and actor Liam Neeson (R) gather together prior to the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, in Dutchess County, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. Natasha Richardson - Funeral - March 22, 2009 St. Peter's Episcopal Millbrook, NY United States March 22, 2009 Photo by Christopher Peterson/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57030329), contact FilmMagic.com

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( L - R) Actress Vanessa Redgrave, Micheal Neeson (3rd L), Joely Richardson (6th L), Daisy Bevan (7th L), Daniel Neeson (2nd L) and actor Liam Neeson (R) gather together prior to the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. Natasha Richardson - Funeral - March 22, 2009 St. Peter's Episcopal Millbrook, NY United States March 22, 2009 Photo by Christopher Peterson/FilmMagic.com To license this image (57029967), contact FilmMagic.com

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MILLBROOK, NY - MARCH 22: Actor Liam Neeson (3rd-L), his sister-in-law Joely Richardson (5th-L) and screenwriter Carlo Gabriel Nero (4th-L) arrive for the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, in Dutchess County, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Joely Richardson;Carlo Gabriel Nero;Liam Neeson

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MILLBROOK, NY - MARCH 22: (L-R) Actress Vanessa Redgrave, Micheal Neeson (3rd-L), Joely Richardson (6th-L), Daisy Bevan (7th-L), Daniel Neeson (2nd-L) and actor Liam Neeson (L) gather together prior to the funeral of actress Natasha Richardson at St. Peter's Lithgow Episcopal Church on March 22, 2009 in Millbrook, in Dutchess County, New York. Richardson died at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18 in New York City after suffering a ski injury at the Mont Tremblant resort in Montreal. (Photo by Joe Corrigan/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Vanessa Redgrave;Micheal Neeson;Daniel Neeson;Daisy Bevan;Joely Richardson;Liam Neeson

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"A strange autopilot kicks in; your psyche puts your work day into a different compartment from your private life. I'm not kidding -- my first shot back on set was reacting to someone dying."

Asked how she is coming to terms with her sister's death, Richardson replied: "I don't look at happiness as being a great goal. A sense of peace, definitely, but it's like the seasons. I think we're meant to have a spring, summer, autumn and winter. I'm not looking for a perpetual summer because that would be a flat line."

Richardson said: "I cannot imagine that there will ever be a day when I don't think of Tasha."

Tags: joely richardson, JoelyRichardson, liam neeson, LiamNeeson, natasha richardson, NatashaRichardson, niptuck

Comments

(24)

Tuesday 08 December

By A.M.D

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She was a beautiful talented actress, a lovely woman who will continued to be missed.

By maxrph

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

"Tasha" was beautiful! Why does her sister, shamelessly, decide to publically ride her shirt tales now? Does she need work?

By tom

My sisters are close like that. A death like that test the faith of those close to her and of their going on without her but you must live life to the fullest for the lost one as well as the others in one's life.

By Hey you

I agree 100%.

By Terry

So are these two women on the same anorexic diet?

By JJ

You are a horrible person to make such a remark about someone who is deceased. I bet you are a fat slob and just jealous.

By Wendy

Stupid

By mburns123

I lost my sister suddenly in 1996--I miss her every day, but you do get over that initial punch in the gut feeling. I can only say take care of yourself and your family, love them everyday

Wednesday 09 December

By tomp sheridant

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I lost my sister suddenly in 1996--I miss her every day, but you do get over that initial punch in the gut feeling. I can only say take care of yourself and your family, love them everyday

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT JESUS CHRYSLER SAID.

By paige

I lost my brother 4 months ago yesterday. Her words are so true. Grief is like the seasons, and I know there will never be absolute happiness because there will always be a void in my life, but peace is a great goal.

By on the journey

knowing the same pain - yes there is peace - albeit slowly - find snippets of joy where you can

By Cherri

Such a tragedy...life must go on! Such a talent and a beautiful woman! She will continue to be missed! God Bless You & your family!

By jdcx3

I think of my older sister who died at 54 tragically, but I remember her for her gidget or that girl moments I see the clock change to 11:11 or 3:45 and get a kick out of it and just say hi sis, those things were so a part of her innocent personality, so many things remind me of her and that is a beautiful thing

By Hope Steffey

Losing your sister is like losing a part of your self, a part of your present and your future life. The only thing left are the past memories to cherish and keep you going for the love of others in your life. Your sister would have wanted it that way. Live, love yes....laugh, I'm working on it

Oh JJ keep drinking the kool aid hun its not your fault, your an innocent victim of social engenieering of the last 30 years. Its okay hun, these women pictured are not normal and in any death disease process if evident if you can wrap your little brain around it, hope you can our and the world's society is sick and the world leaders want to push this global warming bullcrap on us but the reality if you want to see it is that most human misery is self inflicted. Get a life JJ and get into reality not what these fools present, the govt. presents and most of all television presents, most is fraud.

By BODEAN

CAN WE ALL SAY LOSER!!!!!

By Merrily

Wow Terry. You are certainly all over the place and I understood ZERO of what you were trying to say. You need to rewrite this again and put your thoughts (if you can wrap your head around that) in order so that others might be able to realize what you are saying. Probably not worth it, though, right?

By AnneMarie

She was a great wife, mother and actress! My sympathy to her Family ~ Death is the great Divider< they went ahead to greet
us, when our turn arrives > No wonder, the Indians
cried at birth and laughed at death < The Pain of Life's Losses, the struggles, the daily Do Overs, is
finally OVER ~ My Mother used to say, the dead can't
hurt You < It's the LIVING

TO BODEAN:

I UNDERSTAND YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER DISOWNED YOU WHEN YOU WERE BORN. THEY KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO BE AN A88WIPE AND THEY WERE RIGHT

By cdjblue

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Today is my sister's birthday. She would have been 49. She died tragically in june 05. Yes, happiness is no longer a goal...just peace. It came slowly and is easily shattered. I miss her terribly, especially around the holidays. Things have never been the same.

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