Dame Angela Lansbury moved her family to Ireland after her daughter became involved with Charles Manson, the cult leader who orchestrated a series of murders in 1969, including the killing of pregnant actress Sharon Tate.
The Murder, She Wrote star, who died in 2022, was based in Los Angeles when her daughter, Deirdre, fell into a crowd led by Manson. Lansbury admitted that her daughter was "fascinated" by the cult leader after becoming involved with drugs as a teenager.
Star's admission about daughter
"It pains me to say it but, at one stage, Deidre was in with a crowd led by Charles Manson," she told MailOnline in 2014. "She was one of many youngsters who knew him – and they were fascinated. He was an extraordinary character, charismatic in many ways, no question about it."
After discovering her daughter had fallen under Manson's spell, Lansbury told her husband, fellow actor Peter Shaw, that they had to leave Los Angeles for good.
Move to County Cork
The family moved to Ireland, where Lansbury's mother was born. "We upped sticks and moved the family to a house I found in County Cork," Lansbury revealed. "I was drawn to Ireland because it was the birthplace of my mother, and it was also somewhere my children wouldn’t be exposed to any more bad influences."
The Beauty and the Beast star looked back at the move as "a wonderful time in my life", but admitted it took Deirdre a little longer to break her "bad habits". However, she turned her life around and moved back to Los Angeles after meeting her husband.
Legacy and honours
Lansbury passed away in her sleep at the age of 96 in 2022, just five days shy of her 97th birthday. Her career spanned nearly eight decades, and she was best known for her roles in Murder, She Wrote, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Beauty and the Beast and Nanny McPhee.
She was also celebrated for her work in musical theatre, winning six Tony Awards including the Lifetime Achievement honour in 2022. The actress won numerous accolades throughout her life, including six Golden Globes, a Laurence Olivier Award, and Lifetime Achievement gongs at the BAFTAs and Academy Awards. Lansbury was appointed a CBE in the 1994 Birthday Honours and promoted to a Dame in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to drama, charitable work, and philanthropy.
