Kate Beckinsale has commemorated the one-year anniversary of her stepfather’s passing with a heartfelt and emotional post, reflecting on the pain of losing both her father and stepfather.
On Friday, January 10, the actress took to Instagram to share a photo of her late stepfather, Roy Battersby. In the picture, Roy is seen wearing a humorous shirt that reads, “World’s best farter. I mean father,” while smiling and holding a bouquet of flowers.
“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,” Beckinsale, 51, expressed in her touching tribute.
“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.”
The Canary Black actress opened up about the profound grief and sense of loss she has endured since Battersby’s death in January 2024. He passed away in Los Angeles after battling “a brief illness.”
“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,” she candidly wrote.
Beckinsale further explained that she is finding solace where she can, trying to console herself by remembering that Battersby was prepared for his passing and had made 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,” she admitted.
The anniversary of Battersby’s death has been particularly challenging for Beckinsale.
“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,” she wrote.
“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.”
Beckinsale concluded her post with a poignant message: “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.”