Actress Kate Beckinsale has issued a powerful response to online critics commenting on her physique, sharing a series of candid Instagram posts that address the profound grief behind her dramatic weight loss. The 52-year-old star posted images of herself in a bikini and mini skirt on Monday, accompanied by a lengthy, emotional caption about processing the loss of her mother and step-father.
A Message on Grief and Self-Expression
In her post, Beckinsale directly tackled the topic of her slender frame, linking it to the immense personal tragedy she has endured. Her mother, Judy Loe, passed away in July 2025 at age 78 after a long battle with cancer. This came just eighteen months after the death of her step-father, Roy Battersby, who died in January 2024 at 87. Last week, the actress explained in a tearful video that this sequence of losses caused her "body to close down," leading to significant weight loss.
"Grief is not a contest," Beckinsale wrote emphatically. "Whatever and whoever you have lost, your grief, your own grief is the worst grief. Don’t let anyone make you feel you’re in some kind of grief competition that’s just bulls***." She described feeling "paralysed" by sorrow following her mother's death, which she revealed happened while Judy was in her arms.
Finding Solace in Unexpected Places
The Underworld star shared the unconventional ways she has been coping with her "worst grief." She mentioned finding strange comfort in watching numerous episodes of the TV show Four in a Bed and in "kissing multiple horses on the nose." She paid tribute to the support she received from other women who have suffered greatly, and from animals, stating: "Thank God for animals."
Beckinsale also credited a long list of poets, writers, and musicians—including Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, David Bowie, and C.S. Lewis—for helping her through dark times since childhood. She saved special praise for her 26-year-old daughter, Lily Mo Sheen, whom she shares with ex-partner Michael Sheen, calling her "the most beautiful girl in the whole world."
An Empowering Final Word
Concluding her heartfelt message, Kate Beckinsale delivered an empowering statement on personal choice during difficult times. She told her followers and anyone dealing with loss to "wear whatever the f*** you want." She elaborated that whether it's "a hat with live birds in it or ruffled knickers, platform shoes, sweatpants covered in stains... do your thing. Life is short. Give yourself joy."
This public reflection follows the funeral for her mother, which was held at Chiswick House. Beckinsale noted that her mother requested no black attire, wishing for a celebration of her life instead. The actress's raw posts have sparked a significant conversation about grief, body image, and the pressure faced by women in the public eye.
