Natasha Richardson's son has opened up about his grief, admitting he still cannot "comprehend" his mother's death.
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Micheál Richardson, whose father is Liam Neeson, was just 13 years old when his mother died in 2009 after suffering a head injury while skiing in Canada. At the time, he was studying at a New England boarding school.
Natasha Richardson passed away in 2009
Speaking to Vanity Fair, Micheál confessed he is still coming to terms with the tragic loss from 11 years ago. "I think the pain was a little too overwhelming," he explained. "I think the mind is very powerful, and subconsciously, or unconsciously, it can protect you.
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"That's what I did when she passed. I just pushed it aside and didn't want to deal with it. I don't, even still, think that I've fully comprehended it, and that seems to be a similar journey to a lot of people I've spoken to."
The 25-year-old is set to star alongside his dad in a film, which echoes their own experience of loss. Made in Italy tells the story of a father and son, who are still grieving the death of a wife and mother when they reunite in Italy to sell the family's holiday home.
© Photo: Getty ImagesLiam Neeson and Michael are set to star in a new film together
In 2015, Micheál admitted that after his mum's passing, he went off the rails hitting the party scene in New York where the family was based. "I was putting socialising with my friends as my top priority," he told the Sunday Times Style magazine. "Rock bottom was when I chose to miss classes to meet up with them, as well as not realising that family - and work - come first. After a while, I thought, 'What am I doing? This is instant gratification.'"
He added: "Everybody said, 'This kid has lost his mum, that's where the problem comes from.' And I was, like, 'No, it isn't, I just like to party.'"
His father and younger brother Daniel had encouraged him to go to rehab in the Utah desert. "Not having the mother figure definitely set the balance of the family off," he admitted. "I am the eldest. When I was younger, I was more of a momma's boy, my brother was more of a dad's boy. So I took solace in my friends, just living with different families."
