"Watching loved ones die really does take away your appetite." Kate Beckinsale opened up about the reasons behind her "exhaustion."
52-year-old Kate Beckinsale, previously suspected of anorexia, responded to haters' criticism of her dramatic weight loss. The actress posted an emotional video on social media in which she tearfully explained the reasons for her weight loss. She soon deleted the video.
Beckinsale admitted that she was grieving the loss of her mother, Judy Lou, who died last summer after a long battle with stage four cancer. The actress said that her mother died "in her arms" and "after immeasurable suffering." This, along with the recent death of her stepfather, Roy Battersby, led to the actress losing her appetite.
"First I watched my 31-year-old father die of a heart attack (actor Richard Beckinsale died in 1979), then I watched my stepfather die (director Roy Battersby died in January 2024), and then I watched my mother suffer and die. It's such an incredible amount of suffering, and I tell you, it doesn't make for much of an appetite," Kate Beckinsale shared.
The actress believes her appetite may have been affected by "some kind of survivor's guilt." It doesn't feel like anorexia, she says, but rather like "my body has stopped functioning."
"It's shocking and traumatic," Beckinsale continued. "Watching—especially alone—the people you love most suffer and die horrible, sometimes violent, deaths really takes the edge off."
Beckinsale noted that changes in appetite are common among people experiencing grief. She addressed haters, saying that before criticizing her appearance, people should consider the reasons behind it. The star added that she is "very grateful" to her parents, who raised her well—she would never look at people "suffering" and leave them "mean" messages about their appearance.
"To all the people who are worried about me being too skinny or whatever, or not being what they want me to be, I sincerely wish that you had parents like mine."
Over the past couple of years, Kate Beckinsale has been regularly criticized online for her thinness and age-inappropriate looks. Comments have advised her to eat and stop promoting anorexia. Even colleagues, like Britney Spears, have stood up for the actress.
The star had previously stated that she had lost a lot of weight after the death of her stepfather.
Photos: katebeckinsale/Instagram*, Theo Wargo/Getty Images*