Game of Thrones star Gemma Whelan has publicly revealed for the first time that her mother, Sue, drowned while on holiday abroad a year ago, leaving the family devastated. The 45-year-old actress, known for playing Yara Greyjoy in the hit HBO series, opened up about the tragedy on her Instagram page as she paid tribute to her mum.
Whelan's Emotional Tribute
In a heartfelt post on the anniversary of her mother's death, Whelan described the loss as a 'catastrophic shock'. She wrote: 'It has been a year since we had the catastrophic shock that our brilliant bright mum had drowned abroad.' The actress admitted that the past year has been 'b***dy awful' following the loss and grief.
Whelan, who also starred in Gentleman Jack, Killing Eve, The Tower, and The End of the F***ing World, shared a photo of a serene lake with the caption. She explained that some of her mother's ashes were scattered in Canada, her native country, and the rest will go with her father in a river in the Lake District, despite it being 'illegal to scatter willy nilly'.
Addressing Grief and Loneliness
In her post, Whelan addressed the profound solitude that comes with sudden, tragic death. She wrote: 'There's such a big hole in me now, but most people wouldn't know, and while I place this carefully here, my intention is really to address the profound solitude and loneliness of a sudden tragic shocking death, where quite rightly and happily many people do not experience it and therefore can't relate.'
She continued: 'I suppose I'm looking to say that if you're in a similar position of sudden loss and reeling from shock, as I continue to, you're not alone. What terrible things we can endure, and be ok in the not ok.'
Moving Forward with Positivity
Despite the pain, Whelan, a mother of two, said she is determined to move forward with positivity. She wrote: 'I don't think this too shall ever pass but I have excellent friends and family and support and I forge forward with positivity and hope that the hole fills a little year on year with good memories of her and new memories with my kids.'
She admitted that she still tries to call her mum from time to time or take pictures 'thinking she'll love them and then remember.' Whelan added: 'It's b***dy awful. However, I am also happy and fulfilled and smiling for real most of the time. It just catches me out.'
Background on Gemma Whelan
Whelan, born in Leeds, started her career in stand-up comedy and gained recognition for her Chastity Butterworth character. She has appeared in numerous TV and film roles since 2010, with Game of Thrones being her breakout role. Her mother's death has been a private struggle until now, as she chose to share her story to connect with others experiencing similar loss.
