Actress Kate Beckinsale has delivered an emotional and tearful response to online trolls who have been commenting on her appearance, revealing that her significant weight loss is a direct result of profound personal grief.
A Heartbreaking Year of Loss
The 52-year-old star took to Instagram to share a vulnerable video message, wiping away tears as she explained the "really, really hard year" she has endured. Her mother, Judy Loe, died earlier in 2025 at the age of 73 following a battle with cancer. This devastating loss came just a year after the death of her stepfather, creating a cascade of trauma that she says caused her "body to close down".
In the raw footage, Beckinsale expressed her conflicted feelings about the year ending. "It was also the last year that my incredible mum was on this planet," she said. "So I feel really torn about letting go of it as well." She directly addressed the commentary about her slender frame, stating that watching her loved ones suffer had destroyed her appetite.
Addressing the Cruel Commentary
Beckinsale was visibly upset as she described the sequence of losses that have marked her life, beginning in childhood. She recounted witnessing her father die of a heart attack when she was just five years old, an event she experienced alone while her mother was in hospital. This was followed by the deaths of her stepfather and, most recently, her mother after a two-year fight with stage four cancer.
"I watched my mother degenerate and die," she said. "Such an incredible amount of suffering and what I will say, it doesn't make you feel very hungry." She was keen to distinguish her experience from an eating disorder like anorexia, explaining it was not a matter of willpower but a physiological shutdown due to shock and trauma.
A Mother's Joyful Legacy
The actress had previously announced her mother's passing in a poignant Instagram post on July 15, 2025. She described being "paralysed" by grief but honoured her mother's wish for a celebration rather than a sombre funeral. Judy Loe had requested that no one wear black, and Beckinsale said the subsequent gathering at Chiswick House was "full of love and happiness and joy", a testament to her mother's vibrant spirit.
Beckinsale concluded her recent message by explaining the deep impact of witnessing traumatic deaths. "I think watching, especially alone, the people you love the most dearly suffer and have horrific and sometimes violent and awful deaths, really makes you not hungry," she said. Her powerful statement serves as a stark rebuke to those who make assumptions about health and appearance based solely on images shared online.
