Natasha Richardson’s son Daniel shares emotional tribute on 15th anniversary of her death
Natasha Richardson’s son, Daniel Neeson, has shared an emotional tribute to the actor on the 15th anniversary of her death.
Neeson took to Instagram on Monday to honour his mother, who tragically died in 2009 after a skiing accident at the age of 45. His post included a black-and-white snap of Richardson smiling, as he acknowledged how it’s been 15 years since his mother “left this plane on forever more”.
The 27-year-old – who is the son of Richardson and her husband Liam Neeson – then reflected on his close relationship with The Parent Trap star, before describing one of the reasons she’d be proud of him.
“I look forward to reuniting one day but for now I take solace in knowing you’re beside me every step of the way,” he wrote. “Hopefully, I’m making you proud. I think you would definitely be proud of my margarita skills. She was the OG margarita mama!”
Daniel addressed how his memories of his mother making margaritas are quite special, given the tequila business he’s now started.
“As a kid, I used to ask her for a sip of hers, and she would gently say not till you’re older. Little did she know I would one day start my own tequila brand and have way too many margaritas at my fingertips,” he added.
He then shared a piece of advice that his mother’s sister – Joely Richardson – said to him this week “that we sometimes forget”.
“Change is inevitable, and we must embrace it with open arms,” he concluded, referring to the words of wisdom from his aunt. “If you’re a believer or not in quantum physics, the past, future and present coexist. We’re all interconnected here and over there through love. The greatest life force. choose it above all else.”
In the comments, many fans and celebrities went on to praise Neeson’s sweet tribute, reflecting how much they’ve continued to admire his mother over the years.
“Love you so much Danny. And so proud of you. Your mom would LOVE your margaritas, and she was the supreme connoisseur!” TV host Andy Cohen wrote.
“Dan, beautiful. Photo absolute essence of your Ma. She’d be SO PROUD in every WAY – beyond any expectation x,” Neeson’s aunt, Joely, added.
A third fan wrote: “I cannot believe it’s been 15 years. I remember how our hearts ache for you and your family during that time. She was an amazing woman who inspired her sons to do great things. Her spirit lives on in your hearts and in so many other ways.”
Natasha – who also had a now-28-year-old son, Micheál, with Liam – died in 2009, two days after hitting her head while undertaking a beginner’s lesson at a resort in Mont Tremblant, Canada. Initially, she expressed that she felt fine and returned to her hotel room, but she was taken to a local hospital after falling ill 45 minutes later. The following day, she was airlifted to a New York hospital and placed on life support.
She died with her husband by her side, after her family made the decision to switch off life-support, and an autopsy report found the actor had suffered a blunt blow to the head.
Leading up to the 15th anniversary of Natasha’s death, Joely also reflected on her sister’s tragic 2009 skiing accident. During an interview with The Times, published in February, she said that she was filming BBC TV series The Day of the Triffids at the time she learned her sister had been involved in an accident.
“It was the weirdest thing,” she said. “We didn’t know it was going to be the end. Work released me – I was covered for insurance for a few days. I grabbed a tiny bag and jumped on the plane to New York. As a result, I didn’t have any clothes or anything with me.”
Joely specified that the situation became even more difficult for her when she had to wear her sister’s clothes to her funeral.
“So when it came to the funeral, I had to borrow clothes and shoes of Tash’s because I didn’t have anything of my own,” she continued. “I was suddenly aware I was speaking to people in the church wearing my sister’s shoes and it was just terrible, awful, devastating. And then, of course, on a different level I had to step into them.”
She went on to speak candidly about her grief after her sister’s death, noting that when she took on Natasha’s role as the family’s organiser, it “didn’t come easily”. She also specified that she wasn’t doing this “consciously”.
“I was just getting on with it as anyone does when someone dies and the family absolutely goes into crisis,” she said. “It wasn’t just about children being left without a mother. It was about the ramifications for me. I hadn’t lived a day of my life without Tash. I didn’t know the world without her.
