20 January 2024 , 11:54
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Kate Beckinsale has hit back at BAFTA after their "cold" approach to the "in memoriam" at the upcoming awards ceremony and whether they would feature her late stepfather, film director Roy Battersby, who died aged 87 on January 10.
The Hollywood star had taken to social media to berate the British Academy Film Awards about the way it had handled an inquiry about the inclusion in the annual section during the ceremony, with Kate writing alongside a photo of Roy holding the academy’s Alan Clarke Award.
"Today Bafta told me they ‘could not guarantee’ he would be included in their ‘in memoriam’ tribute, to honour the industry members we have lost, " Kate began. "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 organisation 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 added: “That ... has broken my heart all over again,” explaining that she felt “paralysed” and “sickened” by Bafta’s response. I will honour him and his work every day of my life." The Hollywood star has now spoken out against the organisation after BAFTA clarified that Roy, who who directed episodes of TV series such as Cracker, Inspector Morse and A Touch Of Frost, would be included in the tribute section on February 18.
Kate Beckinsale with her mother and late stepfather, Roy Battersby (Instagram/ @katebeckinsale)
Kate Beckinsale hits back at BAFTA after being 'sickened' by their email about late stepfather (Instagram/ @katebeckinsale)A statement from the association read: "We were very sorry to hear of Roy Battersby’s recent passing - he was a renowned and trailblazing director. We confirm he will be honoured in our forthcoming Bafta Television Awards in May, and on the In Memoriam Section on our website.”
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Kate has issued a reply to BAFTA's statement in which she thanked those who supported her after she went public with her grievances before asking that the association changes its way of communicating to ensure that no other family suffers the 'coldness' that she had experienced.
Kate told her 5.6 million followers: "First of all, thank you to all of you who have expressed their support and outrage for the coldly worded email from BAFTA that so upset me and my family. Roy would have been blown away and moved to tears and it is unbearable to me that he was not able to see the amazing loving messages you have left .
"Second ,you may be aware that BAFTA has said he will be included in their segment. . I have not heard from them, they have not apologised to me publicly or personally and just asked that my publicist relay an apology . I have received far too many DMs from family members of people in the British film industry who have passed away who received similarly cold emails and were equally distressed by them. 90 percent of those who work in film and TV are working class people who are not necessarily well paid or particularly well treated."
Kate continued: "In lieu of an apology which is now redundant, I would like a public and permanent assurance that BAFTA make a major change to their policy of wording emails to anyone who has been bereaved ;whether that person is a DP, a sound or vfx technician, costume department,editor,electrician ,grip or carpenter , let alone someone honoured in the way Roy had been.
"These people make up the heart and soul of our industry and it is a vocation. They routinely have to sacrifice time with their families, missing important events, anniversaries, being abroad for school plays or right up to Christmas, unable to care as they’d like to for sick relatives because they have to work extremely long hours to feed their families."
Kate finished with a plea to BAFTA, in which she asked: "If BAFTA truly is an organisation that celebrates those who work in this industry, I want an assurance that this is the last time they send the family of ANY of its workers an email with such a dismissive and cold tone, whether ultimately the person in question is able to be included in the segment or not.
"And if not, the email needs to be doubly compassionate and celebratory of their contribution . My stepfather knew the name of every single person working on his set, from camera operator to caterer, and once stopped production because the focus puller hadn’t been paid . This is what he would have wanted. Thank you again."