Kate Beckinsale Slams BAFTA's "Horribly Cold" Snub of Late Stepfather
Kate Beckinsale is not mincing her words.
The Underworld actress called out the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for telling her they could not guarantee her late stepfather, Roy Battersby, would be honored in an upcoming In Memoriam segment.
Beckinsale shared that after her stepfather died Jan. 10 due to a stroke, she reached out to the BAFTAs to try to honor the 87-year-old. However, she said the group told her "they 'could not guarantee' he would be included in their 'in memoriam' tribute," which would air at the BAFTA Television Awards in May.
"So a man dead less than a week somehow has to audition in front of a committee after a decades long career," she wrote on Instagram Jan. 18, "to decide IF his death is worth mentioning."
The 50-year-old shared her outrage alongside a photo of her stepfather, her mother and herself from 1996, when she presented him with BAFTA's Alan Clarke Award for his work as a television director, noting that his accolade means he should therefore be included.
"I am paralysed, sick and sickened and I will honour him and his work every day of my life," she continued, ending with, "So thanks again, BAFTA for your horribly cold email."
Beckinsale and her stepfather were incredibly close, as seen in a fan video she shared of the two on Instagram. "I fought for you with everything I had," she captioned the clip. "Oh Roy I am so sorry I lost."
Her mother, English television actress Judy Loe, was married to Battersby from 1997 until his death, following her first marriage to Beckinsale's father, actor Richard Beckinsale, from 1977 until his death in 1979.
"She has been gracefully and quietly dealing with stage four cancer for the last six years," Beckinsale added about her mother in her Instagram post. "And just lost her husband."
Following Beckinsale's callout, BAFTA confirmed that Battersby would be part of their In Memoriam montage. "We confirm he will be honoured in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards in May," they told ET in a statement. "And on the In Memoriam Section on our website."
The BAFTA Television Craft Awards and the BAFTA Television Awards are set to be held on Apr. 28 and May 12, respectively. The BAFTA Film Awards will take place Feb. 18.
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