R.I.P. Natasha Richardson

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 07:08:00 PM EST
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CNN and the Associated Press have confirmed Natasha Richardson has died. The family has now issued a statement through her husband's publicist:

Alan Nierob of Rogers & Cowan said in a statement Wednesday night: "Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha. They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."

Earlier, internet sites and sources reported she had been removed from life support at Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan due to the brain injury she sustained following a fall Monday during a ski lesson in Canada. [More...]

Natasha was a tremendously gifted and talented actress. Our sympathies to her family, especially her husband Liam, their two teenage sons and her mother Vanessa.

Many gossip websites are urging readers to leave messages of condolence for the family on their sites, as if the family will see them there. I recommend mailing a card to the family here. (I doubt you'll need the apartment number and I don't see a need to publish it.)

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R.I.P. Natasha Richardson | 24 comments (24 topical)

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very sad.... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by ChiTownDenny on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 07:32:44 PM EST

Rest In Peace.

She and Liam Neeson seemed like nice people. (5.00 / 3) (#3)
by Angel on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 07:53:22 PM EST

You never read any gossip about them, and it appears that they tried to be just regular people. Why do the good ones have to die such tragic early deaths?

Richardson's family must just be reeling, (5.00 / 3) (#5)
by Anne on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 09:37:22 PM EST

not just because of the devastating loss they have suffered, but because of the knowledge that so many people suffer a bump to the head and walk away with nothing more than a mild concussion - Natasha might just as well have been struck by lightning or felled by debris falling from space, that's how senseless it all must seem.

It would not surprise me to see her family become staunch advocates for wearing helmets no matter what - it would help make something positive come out of something so tragic.

I feel so bad for all of them - they will be engulfed in "what if" for a long time, I think.

: It happens to Other People.. (none / 0) (#13)
by Fabian on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 05:47:15 AM EST

...until it happens to you.
Working at a hospital helped to dispel the "other people" myth for me. I hope this helps to give head injury prevention a boost.

Her death is a family tragedy ... (5.00 / 3) (#6)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 09:53:46 PM EST

... and a great public loss. Natasha Richardson not only inherited the prodigious talent of the rest of her clan, she was a great humanitarian who devoted herself to raising funds for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR) in honor of her father, Oscar-winning director / producer Tony Richardson (Tom Jones, 1963), who died of the disease in 1991.

My thoughts tonight are with husband Liam Neeson, sons Michael and Daniel, mother Vanessa Redgrave, sister Joley Richardson, aunt Lynn Redgrave and uncle Corbin Redgrave.

I can't stop thinking about how (5.00 / 2) (#7)
by Jeralyn on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 10:04:19 PM EST

her mother recently starred for a year on Broadway in Joan Didion's "Year of Magical Thinking" about the death of Didion's husband and daughter. It was a one person play. How sad that she has to go through similar grief in real life.

Joan Didion was at the hospital today, so was Meryl Streep.

: I had forgotten about "The Year of (none / 0) (#12)
by oculus on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 11:16:10 PM EST

Magical Thinking." A most poignant read. The play was engaging, but not to the same extent as the book.

Please accept my condolences (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by SOS on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 10:20:12 PM EST

I know the grief the family is going through.

SOS (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by SOS on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 10:24:50 PM EST

Death and the loss that goes with it sucks.

The NEJM ran a computerized cross check of death certificate records from 72 to 81. The average number of deaths in the U.S. is roughly about 5500 per day, or about 165,000 in a 30-day month.

Life is precious. Don't take it for granted.

I was so hoping she had made it. (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by BarnBabe on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 11:15:14 PM EST

As I wrote last night, there is such a small time frame to get to the hospital. I am so saddened that she did not allow that trip. I just feel terrible of her passing and believe she will be remembered as an actress, Mother, and a inspiration to millions who had no idea that a simple fall and hitting your head should not go untreated. My heart goes out to the family, her husband, and her children.

just heartbreaking....... (none / 0) (#1)
by kempis on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 07:18:22 PM EST

: agree... so hearthbreaking (none / 0) (#4)
by WS on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 09:21:18 PM EST

I Can See It Now (none / 0) (#10)
by CDN Ctzn on Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 11:13:36 PM EST

Some rightwing talking-head nutjob will capitalize on this tragedy and argue against universal healthcare / socialized medicine, by piously stating that:
"if this had happened in a country with good healthcare (insert USA here) this trajedy would have never occured. The poor woman would have recieved the care she needed instead of being left to the mercy of the quacks up in Canada and their damned socialized medicine. And to think that President Obama wants to institute a healthcare policy like that here..."
Just wait for Hannity, Limbaugh, and O'Reilly to jump all over this one under the guise of caring for the sick and injured.

Maybe they will, maybe they won't (5.00 / 0) (#18)
by Steve M on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 09:54:00 AM EST

but so far you are the only one to try and make a political point out of it.


I would rather see (none / 0) (#14)
by Jen M on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 07:27:31 AM EST

PSAs urging helmet use and seeking immediate medical help after a nasty blow to the head


But here's the deal (5.00 / 3) (#17)
by sj on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 09:34:15 AM EST

People hit their heads all the time. Getting into the car, on a cabinet door that was left open, from a fall or near fall. I mean it happens all the time. We joke with my brother-in-law about the little cuts that occasionally show up on his head (cuz he shaves his head we can see them) and usually it's because he hit his head. Again.

Some of these are really nasty blows to the head. (I know this. That getting in the car one was me a couple of weeks ago). No-one is going to just walk around wearing a helmet. This is really scary to me.


It is really scary and unpredictable.... (none / 0) (#19)
by vml68 on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 10:35:10 AM EST

I had been following the articles of a gentleman named Bennet Sedacca for a few years. He was the CEO of an asset management company and he has been spot on about the whole credit/economic crisis. Most of the people who followed his advice managed to avoid losing money in this mess and actually managed a tidy profit last year.

I found out Tuesday that he slipped on some stairs monday night bumped his head and died.


Helmets for risky fun things (none / 0) (#23)
by Jen M on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 06:04:42 PM EST

like bicycles, skiing, skating etc


: I guess part of my point was not (none / 0) (#24)
by sj on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 09:50:58 PM EST

helmet related. What is shocking to me is how a bump on the noggin can be fatal when initially it just seems like a nasty bump on the noggin.

Such class. (none / 0) (#16)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 08:50:35 AM EST

How completely tragic. RIP. (none / 0) (#15)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 08:50:22 AM EST

That didn't take long... (none / 0) (#20)
by MileHi Hawkeye on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 01:14:21 PM EST

Quebec is considering making helmets mandatory on ski slopes following the death of actress Natasha Richardson and after doctors tried to persuade the province's sports minister to do it.

Never fails... (none / 0) (#21)
by kdog on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 01:42:37 PM EST

Tragedy occurs and bueracrats come running for tv facetime with another brilliant mandate to micromanage our lives.


: There oughta be a law! (5.00 / 2) (#22)
by sarcastic unnamed one on Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 02:33:37 PM EST