Jamie Lee Curtis has revealed a sentimental moment she shared with her late sister Kelly before her wedding day, following her sibling's heartbreaking passing. The 67-year-old actress announced the death of her sister at age 69 on Saturday in an emotional post describing Kelly as her 'first friend and lifelong confidant.'
Pre-Wedding Photos Surface
In the wake of the passing, Jamie received photos taken with Kelly before she wed her husband, Christopher Guest. These sentimental, black-and-white images show the sisters sharing a special moment before Jamie walked down the aisle. She wrote on Instagram: 'In 1984 on December 17, in the evening before my wedding, my sister, Kelly, who was my maid of honor, came to my apartment and slept over. Our friend, Suzanne Tenner, came and made a portrait of the sisters before I got married. She sent me this contact sheet today in condolence for the loss of my beautiful sister.'
Jamie continued: 'My sister and I were close as children but also had that sibling competition for divorced parent's attention and love and we were wildly different and lived apart for many years, but she came back to be with me at my wedding and never really left again. She worked for me at one point when she was in between jobs as my assister-aunt and became an integral part of my family structure. I miss her today but am buoyed by the knowledge that she is at peace.'
Tributes from Friends and Family
Rita Wilson was among those who commented, writing that the pictures were 'so tender and beautiful.' Jennifer Garner also wrote, 'Beautiful.' Earlier in the day, the Freaky Friday star had taken to social media and shared a stunning black-and-white photo of her sister to announce her passing. She wrote to her 6.6 million followers: 'A warm aloha to my older sister, Kelly Lee Curtis. She passed away this morning. In her home. In nature. At peace.' A cause of death was not shared.
Jamie Lee's note continued: 'She was my first friend and lifelong confidant. She was jaw droppingly beautiful, and a talented actress. She played a mean game of hearts, collected turtles, loved her family, nature, music, thrifting, travel, Facebook, and Pokémon Go.' Kelly, her younger sister wrote lovingly, 'was proud of her Danish roots and Hungarian Jewish ancestry and was a devoted American patriot.' Jamie Lee continued: 'She will be remembered for her loving generosity, fierce opinions, endless curiosity, unique style, and her powdered, almond, crescent cookies at Christmas, hence her name, Auntie Cookie.'
Family Legacy
Jamie Lee and Kelly are the daughters of Some Like It Hot star Tony Curtis and Psycho actress Janet Leigh. Both followed in their parents' footsteps, becoming performers, with Kelly starring in such films as 1991's Italian horror The Devil's Daughter. She also worked behind the scenes, including as a production assistant on Jamie Lee's films Freaky Friday, Christmas with the Kranks, and You Again. The True Lies actress recalled in her initial Instagram post that 'Kelly always signed off any message or fare thee well with a Hungarian blessing…Isten Veled, God is with you.' As such, Jamie Lee concluded her tribute: 'Isten Veled to my sister of the sun and the moon, my Tai. I'll see you on down the line.'
