Judy Loe, a veteran British actress and the mother of Kate Beckinsale, has died.
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Loe passed away on July 15, at the age of 78, two years after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She is widely recognized for her television roles in TV series such as General Hospital, Inspector Morse, Casualty and Holby City.
Loe, born in 1947, was an original cast member of the musical Hair and made her TV debut in Ace of Wands in 1970. She was married to actor Richard Beckinsale from 1977 to 1979. Beckinsale, known for his roles in Porridge and Rising Damp, passed away from a heart attack at age 31 in 1979.
In 1997, after 15 years together, she married director Roy Battersby, who passed away in 2024.
Kate Beckinsale Takes to Social Media to Mourn the Passing of Her Mother, Judy Roe
Kate Beckinsale shared on Instagram that she was overwhelmed by grief and felt “paralyzed” in the wake of her mother’s passing.
“I don’t want to post this,” the Pearl Harbor star wrote alongside a series of shots of the pair. “I am only posting this because I have had to register my mother‘s death certificate, and it will soon become public record. She died the night of 15 July in my arms after immeasurable suffering.”
“I have not picked all the best photos, nor the best videos, because I cannot bear to go through my camera roll yet,” she added. “I deeply apologize to any of her friends who are finding out this way or through the press, but I cannot go through her phone.”
“Jude was the compass of my life, the love of my life, my dearest friend,” Beckinsale continued. “The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly. She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people, and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear.”
“Mama, I love you so much,” the 51-year-old continued. “This has been my greatest fear since finding my father dead at five, and I am here. Oh my Mama … I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I am so sorry.”
Loe is survived by her daughter, Kate, as well as six stepchildren: actress Samantha Beckinsale from Richard’s first marriage, and Ben, Frank, Anna, Tom, and Will from Battersby’s family.