Stars Remember Natasha Richardson

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

19 Mar 2009 07:01 AM

Celebrities from around the world have been sending condolences to Natasha Richardson's family in the hours since the Tony Award-winning actress died.

The 45-year-old star of stage and screen was reportedly taken off life support yesterday afternoon and passed away a few hours later. Since then tributes have begun to pour in from around the globe.

"She was a wonderful woman and actress and treated me like I was her own," said Lindsay Lohan, who starred with Richardson in a remake of "The Parent Trap" in 1998. "My heart goes out to her family. This is a tragic loss."

Richardson was also remembered by famed actress Judi Dench, who told the BBC that the beloved wife and mother was "a really great actress" who had "an incredibly luminous quality, that you seldom see, and a great sense of humor."

Heartbreaking public statements also came in from Sam Mendes, who produced the Broadway musical "Cabaret" for which Richardson won a Tony. Mendes remembered Richardson as a "loving and devoted mother" to her two young sons with her famous husband Liam Neeson.

"It defies belief that this gifted, brave, tenacious, wonderful woman is gone," Mendes told reporters last night.

Richardson reportedly fell during a private lesson Monday at an upscale ski resort in Quebec. According to witnesses, the actress declined to be seen by medical staff immediately following her accident. However, about an hour later, she complained that she didn't feel well and was rushed to a hospital in Montreal and later flown to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.

Yesterday Jane Fonda also went public with her recollections of a young Richardson, whom she met on the set of "Julia," the 1977 film Fonda starred in opposite Richardson's mother, Vanessa Redgrave.

"She was a little girl but already beautiful and graceful. It didn't surprise me that she became such a talented actor," Fonda recalled on her blog. "It is hard to even imagine what it must be like for her family. My heart is heavy."

Actress Demi Moore tweeted her thoughts on Richardson's passing writing on Twitter, "A real reminder of how precious life is and how quickly it can be gone."

Martha Stewart, who owns a home near Neeson and Richardson in upstate New York also tweeted this message: "Just heard the tragic news about poor Natasha Richardson. Her family must be devastated. My sincerest condolences to all."

Details on funeral and memorial arrangements for Richardson have not been publicized.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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