Roy Battersby, Kate Beckinsale's stepfather, has died aged 87. The actress shared a heartbreaking announcement and tribute to the respected film and television director.
"It is with great sorrow that the family of film and television director Roy Battersby announce the news of his recent death after a brief period of illness", the announcement read.
"He passed away peacefully on 10 January 2024, in Los Angeles surrounded by family, aged 87. Funeral will be held in London, details to follow."
Fans speculated that Roy had died after Kate posted a black square to her Instagram on the 10th, which saw many people commenting their condolences. She had gone straight to the hospital from the 81st Golden Globe Awards, where she presented the award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama with Don Cheadle.
Within his own right, Roy Battersby was a beloved director of British television. With his filmography stretching back to the 1960s, he directed episodes of Britain's best loved shows, like Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, and Between the Lines. In 1996 he won the Alan Clarke Award at the BAFTAs for his outstanding contribution to television.
Kate went on to share a heartfelt tribute to Roy, created by a fan account. She wrote: "I have no words yet. Thank you @katebeckinsale_slovakia2 for making this beautiful thing. I fought for you with everything I had. Oh Roy I am so sorry I lost."
The video involved footage of Roy speaking about life during World War Two, and eating banana sandwiches to celebrate the end of it. The clip was followed by a montage of personal photos of the director with his stepdaughter and wife, actress Judy Loe.
Kate remained close to her stepfather throughout her life, who came into her life after the sudden death of her father from a heart attack when she was five. She has said that the loss of Richard Beckinshale was incredibly traumatic as she "started expecting bad things to happen".
Back in 1997 Kate told The Independent that she "couldn't have knitted a better" stepfather. She explained that Roy knew she was a "traumatised little person".
She continued that he "didn't expect this idyllic little girl in plaits who'd be nice to him. I wasn't sure whether I wanted my mom to marry anyone else… And I certainly didn't want any brothers. Roy had four sons and one daughter. I wasn't in a boy mood. He's been so brilliant. He wasn't pushy, he let me come to him."