Natasha Richardson’s Fatal 2009 Skiing Accident Cut Her and Liam Neeson’s Love Story Short

Actor Natasha Richardson was an undeniable force in showbiz, commanding both the stage and screen. Her range was impeccable, as she made us fall in love with her as Elizabeth James in The Parent Trap while also making us love to hate her as Caroline Lane in Maid in Manhattan years later. Natasha also took us back in time as Countess Sofia Bellinskya in her 2005 film, The White Countess.

In addition to being a prominent figure in her own right, Natasha was 1/2 of one of Hollywood's most beloved power couples. Her 15-year marriage to actor Liam Neeson began when the couple met on the set of their first of several collaborative projects, the stage play Anna Christie. Natasha and Liam went on to create a beautiful family with their children, Michaél and Daniel.

Sadly, the iconic movie mom's life was cut short following a skiing incident in March 2009. Here are the details of the tragic event.

Natasha's fatal incident occurred during a family trip at the Mont Tremblant ski resort in Quebec, Canada, on Monday, March 16, 2009. According to ABC News, she and her family were with Liam while he filmed a movie in Toronto. While on vacation, Natasha signed up for a private skiing lesson with an instructor. During the lesson, the actor fell and hit her head, and wasn't wearing a helmet when the fall occurred. Initially, she thought nothing of the collision, but she was unknowingly suffering from a brain bleed called an epidural hematoma.

An epidural hematoma can develop, "due to a fracture of the temporal bone, just in front of the ear." A hematoma can cause significant damage to an artery called the middle meningeal, which often results in heavy bleeding. The damage can typically be resolved if located early, but, unfortunately, that wasn't Natasha's case since her injuries weren't caught early. ABC News reported that paramedics were called to care for Natasha on the afternoon of March 16, and she was moved to a small clinic near the mountain.

Natasha reportedly left the clinic less than 30 minutes later and was feeling fine. However, her injuries worsened the following day, causing her and her family to fly out from Montreal to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Natasha died on March 18, 2009, at just 45 years old. According to People, Liam was by her side during her final moments, as well as her mother, actor Vanessa Redgrave, sister Joely Richardson, and actor Lauren Bacall.

While Natasha's sudden death deeply affected those who watched her on the stage and screen, her loss was especially felt by those who knew her personally, including her sister, Joely Richardson. Joely is another celebrated actor within the Redgrave/Richardson clan and is best known for her roles in The Patriot and FX's Nip/Tuck. She's kept her sister's memory alive in the years since her death, including a heartfelt Instagram post where she reflected on celebrating her 60th birthday without Natasha's physical presence.

"Me and my sister Tasha," Joely captioned a photo of her and Natasha as children. "On my birthday, people seemed astonished that I was happy to be turning sixty. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not like the numbers jumped from 25 to 60," Joely wrote in a caption to her post. "All the years and decades in between were LIVED. Now I get to be this number and investigate how I find it . ‘60 is the new 40’ people say- I say ‘why does it need to be? I did that one 2 decades ago.'"

The actor also confirmed she's still very much connected to Natasha's husband, Liam, and wants the best for him. In August 2025, Joely expressed her support for Liam and Pamela Anderson's romance by commenting seven red heart emojis under a post of them cozied up while celebrating their film, The Naked Gun. Pamela was Liam's first relationship since losing Natasha.