Natasha Richardson has died following a ski accident, a spokesman for her actor husband Liam Neeson said in a statement on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK - ACTRESS Natasha Richardson has died, a spokesman said on Wednesday, two days after the daughter of British theatre icon Vanessa Redgrave apparently suffered brain damage in what was initially dismissed as a minor ski accident.
Star from British acting dynasty
NEW YORK - ENTERTAINMENT was in Natasha Richardson's blood.
But after her death following a ski accident in Canada, the actress from one of Britain's theatrical dynasties will be remembered for carving out her own reputation by lighting up the stage and silver screen.
Richardson, married to Irish actor Liam Neeson, died in New York, where she had been flown after the accident in Canada. She was 45.
'Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha,' said a statement from spokesman Alan Nierob in Los Angeles.
'They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time.' The actress became gravely ill shortly after a tumble on a beginner's slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada.
In the hours after she was injured, Neeson, 56, rushed to her side and flew her on a private jet to New York, where tabloids reported the star was 'brain-dead'. Redgrave, a film and theatre star, was seen arriving overnight at the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, as were Natasha's sister Joely Richardson and her two sons.
Richardson's tragic ending apparently was triggered by what was initially dismissed as a harmless fall during the ski lesson, the Canadian resort said.
'She did not show any visible sign of injury,' the resort said.
But as a precaution, the local ski patrol and her instructor accompanied her back to her hotel and 'insisted she should see a doctor'. An hour later, Richardson 'was not feeling good' and an ambulance was called to take her to the Centre Hospitalier Laurentien in Ste-Agathe, Quebec.
She was later transferred to Sacre-Coeur hospital in Montreal, the resort said.
Even a blow to the head that leaves no visible injury can sometimes cause brain damage, for example swelling or blood clots. -- AFP
