Kate Beckinsale had strong words for the BAFTAs over its “cold email” about her stepfather Roy Battersby’s death.
Roy was an accomplished director, known for projects such as Inspector Morse and Between the Lines. Kate reportedly announced his death last week, saying that he’d passed “peacefully” in LA after “a brief period of illness.” He was 87.
Although Roy had received many honors throughout his lifetime — he even had a BAFTA — Kate said she was told in an email that there was no “guarantee” he would be included in this year’s memorial.
“Today, BAFTA told me they ‘could not guarantee’ he would be included in their In Memoriam tribute to honor the industry members we have lost,” Kate said on Instagram, alongside a photo of Roy “just after” she presented him with “the lifetime achievement BAFTA” back in 1996.
“So a man dead less than a week somehow has to audition in front of a committee after a decades-long career (in which he has been awarded from said organization the highest accolade they have) to decide IF his death is worth mentioning. If his work, his life, his craft, his mentoring, his heart and soul are worthy of a mention that he is gone.”
Kate said the ordeal “has broken my heart all over again.”
“I am paralyzed, sick, and sickened, and I will honor him and his work every day of my life,” she continued.
Kate then mentioned her mother, actor Judy Loe, and how she’s also been battling health problems as of late. “She has been gracefully and quietly dealing with stage four cancer for the last six years and just lost her husband,” Kate wrote, “so thanks again, BAFTA for your horribly cold email.”
The BAFTAs responded to Kate in a statement shared with BuzzFeed. “We were very sorry to hear of Roy Battersby’s recent passing — he was a renowned and trailblazing director,” a rep for the academy said. “Roy Battersby was awarded the Alan Clarke Award in 1996, a BAFTA Special Television Award. We confirm he will be honored in our forthcoming BAFTA Television Awards in May, and on the In Memoriam section on our website.”