03 July 2023 , 09:13
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Liam Neeson revealed the heartbreaking last words he said to his wife Natasha Richardson five years after her tragic death.
The actress lost her life in 2009, aged 45, after a fall during a beginner skiing lesson with her eldest son, Michael.
Natasha suffered a traumatic brain injury after initially telling her husband she'd "taken a tumble in the snow."
The 71-year-old opened up about his last moments with his wife during a candid interview with Anderson Cooper.
The actor, who has remained single since Natasha's death, explained that during their 15 years together, the couple made a pact that if either of them ended up in a vegetative state “we’d pull the plug”.
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Liam Neeson revealed the heartbreaking last words he said to his wife Natasha Richardson five years after her tragic death (PA)
The actor has never remarried (Getty Images for ZFF)When Natasha initially fell on one of the beginner slopes, she reportedly refused medical attention and was escorted to her hotel room where she called Liam, who was filming in Toronto at the time.
Three hours later, The Wild Child star was rushed to hospital where it was discovered blood had been pooling in her brain, causing fatal pressure.
Liam raced to her bedside where a doctor showed him an x-ray, which he said looked like “a cartoon” before being told she was tragically brain dead.
While at her hospital bedside in New York, the Taken star told the mother-of-his two children: “Sweetie, you're not coming back from this. You've banged your head. It’s…I don't know if you can hear me, but that's…this is what's gone down.
“We're bringing you back to New York. All your family and friends will come."
Natasha's son Micheál said his mum's death "messed with his mind" when he was just 13 years old.
He told The Times : "It was so sudden. When it's unexpected and it's just a complete freak accident, it really sort of messes with your mind, whether you believe in fate or not."
He added: "She was a terrific, terrific mother. What I wish is I could have just these adult conversations with her, these random questions about the industry or music.
"I was a mama's boy growing up and she was really my best friend. I mean we were all a close family, but Danny [younger brother] was my dad's boy and I was my mom's boy, for sure."
At the time of her death, Natasha's family released a statement expressing their shock and devastation over the news.
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It read: "Liam Neeson, his sons and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha.
"They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."