Kate Beckinsale penned a heartfelt tribute for late stepfather Roy Battersby on social media a year after his death.
The actress is honoring the memory of Battersby, on the first anniversary of his passing. Battersby, who died on January 10, 2024, at the age of 87, left a profound impact on Beckinsale’s life.
In a heartfelt Instagram post, the 51-year-old actress shared a photo of Battersby smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers. Alongside the image, Beckinsale candidly reflected on the mixed emotions she continues to experience following his death.
Battersby passed away in Los Angeles, surrounded by loved ones, after a brief illness. At the time, Beckinsale issued a statement expressing her deep sorrow and the significant loss to their family.
Kate Beckinsale’s tribute to late stepfather Roy Battersby
Read Kate Beckinsale’s complete tribute to late stepfather Roy Battersby below:
“Finding my father‘s dead body alone in the middle of the night at the age of five shaped my entire life. Seeing my beloved stepfather die a year ago today will haunt me forever. It does seem terribly careless to have managed to be present for both deaths and unable to prevent either, the second time trying with every single thing I had. It was not enough.
“In the process of losing my beloved Roy I lost family, friendships, at some points my own health, and all the money I had due to how disgusting the American healthcare system is for those who are not insured. I would do it again. No question. I cannot help feeling that I dreadfully failed – but I am trying to console myself today with all the preparation that he did in the last years of his life, how deeply he studied and practised as a Jungian and how thin the veil is between the energy of this life and whatever is next, that some part of him was at peace with it. It does feel like a lie I am telling myself to try and feel better, however. Perhaps I am just unfortunately not enlightened enough to sell that to myself over my sense of loss, guilt and failure.
“It is a tough day to talk about our fledgling and precious tragedy, but given that I couldn’t save him, I’ll be damned if I’m not going to honour him in some small way. He taught me how to be brave.
He taught me that it doesn’t matter if people don’t like you as long as you’re doing the right thing, he lost everything fighting for justice for the trade unions, for the Palestinians in the ‘70s, living with them in refugee camps in Lebanon for several years making his 1977 documentary “The Palestinian”, fighting for the miners losing everything in the strikes. It was Roy who lovingly helped my Jewish adopted grandmother who fled Germany at 14, to painfully uncover what had become of her brother and parents who did not make it.
He was blacklisted by the BBC and elsewhere. He would have had a completely different career if he had toed the line and not cared so much about what was right . I am so lucky that I was raised by someone who uncompromisingly knew what was right and lived it. And loved me .Thank you for being my father. I miss you so much.”
