Liam Neeson is in mourning. The Oscar nominee’s nephew Ronan Sexton has died at the age of 35, nearly five years after sustaining head injuries in a scary fall.
The Belfast Telegraph reported on Wednesday, January 16, that Sexton died over the weekend in the Cushendall village in Northern Ireland. Parish priest Father Luke McWilliams told the newspaper that the family has asked for privacy as they mourn their loss.
Sexton had injured himself in June 2014 after falling 20 feet from the top of a telephone booth that he climbed during a late night out with friends in Brighton, East Sussex, England. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition with serious head injuries. He was later transferred to a neurological center.
Shortly after the incident, Sexton’s family released a statement saying that he was “receiving wonderful treatment from the dedicated staff” at the hospital. They also thanked fans for the outpouring of “love, support, prayers and good wishes for Ronan.”
Sexton was the youngest of six children. His mother, Bernadette, is one of Neeson’s three sisters.
The actor, 66, has experienced devastating losses in the past. His wife, Natasha Richardson, fell and injured her head during a ski lesson in Montreal, Quebec, in March 2009 and was transported to a hospital in New York City. She died two days later at age 45. The late actress, who was a member of the famous Redgrave family and starred in beloved films such as The Parent Trap and Maid in Manhattan, had been married to Neeson since 1994. They shared sons Micheál, now 23, and Daniel, 22.
