Richard E Grant has revealed he no longer remembers the final eight months of his late wife Joan Washington's life, five years after her death from cancer in 2021. The actor, who married Washington in 1986, shared a tribute to her on the fifth anniversary of her death, explaining that his memory now focuses on happier times.
A tribute to Joan Washington
In a social media post, Grant shared a video from an episode of Nigel Slater's A Taste of Your Life, in which Washington describes how the Oscar nominee likes his porridge. The clip shows Grant chuckling and squirming as his wife reveals his eating habits.
Alongside the video, he wrote: 'THANK YOU for ALL your compassionate messages on my late wife's 5th Anniversary. The wonderful trick of memory is that I no longer remember her final 8 months, but rather her Life enhancing vibrancy and humour. Special thanks to @nigelslater for inviting me on A TASTE OF YOUR LIFE.'
Support from friends and colleagues
Slater was among those offering support, posting a string of love hearts in the replies. Trudie Styler wrote: 'Dearest Richard -thinking of you -and thanking you for sharing this lovely video of Joan looking wonderful and reminding us of her crackling wit- and fun. I'm so happy to read you are emerging into the light and able to feel joy once more from your memories of your beautiful marriage to Joan.'
Designer Jasper Conran also commented, celebrating her 'saucy, conspiratorial laugh'.
Grant's openness about grief
Grant, who is set to appear on the second series of Celebrity Traitors, recently revealed he cut friends out of his life following Washington's death. He claimed some pals avoided him to swerve awkward conversations, stressing that he will never forgive them.
'I'm very unequivocal, black and white, all or nothing,' he said in an interview with The Times. 'I've tried to go for the grey areas but it's not succeeded for very long. There are people that have been edited out of my life and I will never see them again. If I had done that to them, I wouldn't be able to look them in the face. No, portcullis down. Goodbye.'
He also shared that he still writes to Washington every night before bed and said he was still far from considering finding love again. 'I've not had any twinkles of that yet,' he said.
