14 DAY TRIAL // Actress Natasha Richardson, wife to Liam Neeson and daughter of Vanessa Redgrave, died in 2009, after falling on a ski slope in Canada. She was pronounced brain dead within hours, and Neeson flew her to New York to allow the family to say their goodbyes before taking her off life support.
Since then, Neeson hasn’t talked about the tragedy too much: he gave one interview at the 2-year anniversary of her death and, now, another one to Anderson Cooper’s 60 Minutes, 5 years afterwards.
Above is a preview of the full segment, in which the actor talks about why he didn’t want Natasha on life support, and why she would have done the same if the roles were reversed. He also says he arranged for some of her organs to be donated.
Still, he admits in the full interview, Natasha’s death never seemed “real.” “It still kind of isn't. There's periods now in our New York residence when I hear the door opening, especially the first couple of years... anytime I hear that door opening, I still think I'm going to hear her,” Neeson says.
He describes the grief and the pain in terms of a “wave” that causes such instability that he feels Earth itself has gone off balance.
Liam and Natasha got married in 1994 and were one of Hollywood’s golden couples.