Natasha Richardson's Death, 17 Years Later: Inside the Actress’ Ski Accident That Quickly Turned Tragic
Natasha Richardson's Death, 17 Years Later: Inside the Actress’ Ski Accident That Quickly Turned Tragic
Kayla Keegan, Christopher RudolphWed, March 18, 2026 at 1:45 PM UTC
0
Natasha Richardson during the 'Asylum' premiere in New York CityCredit: Carley Margolis/FilmMagic -
Natasha Richardson died on March 18, 2009
Her death occurred two days after she fell and hit her head during a ski lesson
The accident happened while the actress was on a family trip in Quebec, Canada
Though it's been 17 years since her sudden death, Natasha Richardson's memory and legacy live on.
In March 2009, Natasha's husband, fellow actor Liam Neeson, was filming a movie in Toronto when she planned a ski vacation with their sons, Michaél and Daniel. The trio checked into the Mont Tremblant ski resort in Quebec, Canada.
The retreat was meant to be a fun family outing, but the trip turned tragic on the morning of March 16. During a private ski lesson with an instructor, the Tony-winning actress fell on the beginner’s trail at Station Mont Tremblant and hit her head.
Though Natasha' initially thought nothing of her fall, she was unknowingly suffering a serious brain bleeding injury. Despite appearing fine, her condition continued to deteriorate over the next few days, ultimately leading to her death two days later on March 18.
It was later revealed that she died from an epidural hematoma, and her death devastated fellow actors and longtime fans. Over the years, Liam has opened up about the loss of his late wife, including how he still tries to feel close to her.
Today, Natasha and Liam's kids are following in their acting footsteps. Notably, the Taken star and Micheál starred together in the 2020 comedy-drama Made in Italy. “I think Natasha would be proud. I hope so," Liam told PEOPLE.
Here’s what to know about Natasha Richardson's death and the legacy she left behind.
How did Natasha Richardson die?
Natasha Richardson attends the 2001 Governor's Arts Awards on November 19, 2001 in New York City.Credit: Evan Agostini/ImageDirect
A New York City medical examiner conducted an autopsy on the actress and determined her cause of death to be an epidural hematoma, caused by the blunt impact to her head from the accidental fall she’d endured on the ski slope at Mont Tremblant, ABC News reported.
"Epidural hematoma is due to a fracture of the temporal bone, just in front of the ear," David Good, M.D., the head of the neurology department at Penn State's Hershey College of Medicine in March 2009, said. "The temporal bone is thin compared to the rest of the skull, and if you bump it, it tends to fracture more easily. The problem is there's an artery that lies just under the bone."
That artery, called the middle meningeal, if damaged, can cause heavy bleeding. Over time, the pressure from the bleeding compresses the brain and can lead to headaches, confusion, loss of consciousness and even death.
If caught and treated in time, a person has a strong chance of surviving with no lasting effects. Natasha’s injury, however, was left untreated for hours.
After Natasha fell and hit her head, she was briefly examined by ski resort employees on the beginner's slope she was practicing on and then by paramedics at a local clinic, according to ABC News.
The actress didn't wish for further medical attention and signed a release waiver, but when she returned to her hotel, her condition began worsening over the next few hours.
When did Natasha Richardson die?
Natasha Richardson during "The White Countess" premiere at The Paris Theatre in New York City.Credit: J. Kempin/FilmMagic
Natasha died on the night of March 18, 2009, though her accident occurred during the day on Monday, March 16, at Mont Tremblant in Quebec.
While skiing without a helmet at the Canadian resort’s Nansen beginner’s slope on March 16, Natasha fell and hit her head. In response, Natasha’s ski instructor called the ski patrol, who examined the actress and initially found no injury, CNN reported.
According to ABC News, the first call to paramedics was at 12:43 p.m. local time. At 1 p.m., an ambulance arrived, and Natasha was promptly moved to a small clinic near the mountain.
Thinking she was fine and not wanting further medical attention, Natasha signed a medical waiver and was released from the clinic at 1:10 p.m.
The actress then walked back to the hotel with the instructor and ski patrol, arriving in her suite at 1:30 p.m. Natasha was allegedly advised to see a doctor again, and the instructor stayed close by as a precaution.
At this point, she was feeling fine and experiencing a brief lucid interval, a period of time where symptoms seemingly improve while the pressure on the brain continues to build.
Her symptoms eventually began to worsen again, however, and at 2:59 p.m., a second call to the ambulance was made. Ten minutes later, an ambulance arrived, and she was taken to the local Centre Hospitalier Laurentien in Ste-Agathe.
After being evaluated there, Natasha was later routed to the larger hospital Hôpital du Sacre-Coeur in Montreal at around 7 p.m., Toronto’s The Globe and Mail newspaper reported.
There, her condition continued to deteriorate, and the following afternoon on March 17, she was flown from Montreal to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.
Where did Natasha Richardson die?
Natasha Richardson talks at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on October18, 2005 in Beverly Hills, California.Credit: Piyal Hosain/Fotos International/Getty
The White Countess star died in N.Y.C. at Lenox Hill Hospital on March 18, 2009.
Several family members and friends of Natasha’s were seen at the hospital hours before her death was announced, including her husband Liam, mother and actress Vanessa Redgrave and sister Joely Richardson.
Advertisement
How old was Natasha Richardson when she died?
Natasha was 45 years old at the time of her death.
What were Natasha Richardson’s last words?
Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson arrive at the BFI 52 London Film Festival on October 17, 2008 in London, England.Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty
Before ultimately succumbing to her head injury, Natasha told Liam about the accident when she returned to the hotel and assured him she was feeling okay.
“I spoke to her, and she said, 'Oh, darling. I've taken a tumble in the snow.' That's how she described it," Liam recalled on 60 Minutes in February 2014.
Hours later, Liam learned that Natasha's condition was worsening, so he got on a flight from Toronto to be by her side in Quebec. While in the air, his flight was diverted to Montreal and upon arriving at the hospital, he received grim news.
Liam recalled arriving at the hospital, where a doctor showed him Natasha's X-rays, which showed the epidural hematoma. Sadly, by the time Liam reunited with Natasha, she was brain-dead and on life support.
“[I] said, ‘Sweetie, you're not coming back from this. You've banged your head. It's — I don't know if you can hear me, but that's — this is what's gone down,” Liam remembered telling his late wife when he saw her. “‘And we're bringing ya back to New York. All your family and friends will come.’ "
What was the public reaction to Natasha Richardson’s death?
Natasha Richardson during the Italian promotion of the movie "The White Countess".Credit: Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty
Two days after her death, Natasha’s loved ones gathered at New York’s American Irish Historical Society in N.Y.C. for a private wake, according to CBS News.
Shortly after, the family held the actress' funeral at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in upstate New York on March 22, 2009. The Guardian reported that the site was close to a home in Millbrook, where Natasha and Liam married on July 3, 1994.
When news broke about her death, fellow actors from across the industry expressed their sympathies, including Judi Dench, Jane Fonda and Julianna Margulies. Apart from starring in dramas and romantic-comedy films, Natasha was passionate about theater.
As the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director Tony Richardson, she first graced the stage at a young age, and she went on to win a Tony Award for her performance in the 1998 Broadway revival of the musical Cabaret.
“For everyone who knew and loved her, Natasha’s death is a terrible, devastating loss," Ralph Fiennes, who worked with her in Broadway's A Midsummer Night's Dream and 2001’s Maid in Manhattan, said. "She was a star. A great actress, a beautiful woman, a fiercely loyal friend, a brilliant and generous companion."
Her Parent Trap costar Lindsay Lohan also spoke out about the news, sharing that Natasha "treated me like I was her own." Over the years, Lohan has continued to honor her late on-screen mom.
Outside of Hollywood, fans were devastated by Natasha's sudden death, and it prompted conversations about head injuries, including how to practice precaution during activities and signs to look out for.
A few years later, Liam revealed that his family received an outpour of love from fans who wrote them heartfelt messages. “We got hundreds — maybe a couple thousand — sympathy cards, emails and stuff from all over the world, especially America,” he said on Watch What Happens Live in February 2014.
How has Natasha Richardson’s family honored her legacy?
Natasha Richardson and her sons Micheal Neeson and Daniel Neeson attend the "Billy Elliot The Musical" opening night on Broadway on November 13, 2008 in New York City.Credit: Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
Following her death in 2009, Liam coped by throwing himself back into work. In 2010 alone, the actor appeared in Clash of Titans, The A-Team and The Next Three Days, lent his voice to The Wildest Dream documentary and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and appeared in the TV shows The Big C and Cubed. He has been involved in over 65 film projects since 2009.
“I'm not good without work. I wallow too much ... and I just didn't want to, especially for my boys,” Liam said on 60 Minutes.
The actor later revealed to Inquirer.net in July 2020 how he still keeps his wife’s memory alive.
“I speak to her every day at her grave which is about a mile and a half down the road,” he told the outlet. “I go down there quite often, so I do speak to her as if she’s here. Not that she answers me.”
Michaél and Daniel were 13 and 12, respectively, when their mother died. Today, Michaél — who changed his last name from Neeson to Richardson in 2018 in honor of Natasha — is following in his dad and late mom’s acting footsteps. He’s been involved in about a dozen acting projects, including starring in Cold Pursuit and Made in Italy with Liam.
As a way to commemorate his mother, Michaél has shared that he likes to rewatch some of Natasha’s films, once telling PEOPLE that his favorite is The Parent Trap “because I just see her so much as that person.”
“Now that I’m on this journey that she had gone through herself, I feel like she’s with me," he said. "I feel closer."
Daniel has also enjoyed pursuits in the arts. After graduating from college, he co-founded an eco-friendly clothing line and a tequila brand, and he's kept his mother in mind throughout the process.
"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 on Instagram in March 2024. "Hopefully, I’m making you proud."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
