Kate Beckinsale is opening up about her struggles with grief.
On Wednesday (September 2), the 53-year-old actress took to Instagram to speak candidly about the difficulties of navigating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the video, Kate discussed how PTSD isn’t fully understood or studied, especially among women.
“There are men and women and children who have seen such absolute horror or experienced such absolute horror that their nervous system is permanently altered as a result,” she said, per People. “And a lot of those people become incredibly good at masking it. And it’s sad because they become so good that they get no grace whatsoever.”
Kate added, “They get up, they go to work, they look after their kids, they provide for their family, they have a laugh, they’re the fun person, but they don’t sleep for more than an hour because when they do, it’s full of nightmares. Anything — smells, sounds, thoughts, feelings — can trigger them into a place that is actually like hell.”
The Underworld actress then encouraged others to be kinder because you don’t know what people are going through.
“Given the fact that it’s invisible and you can’t know, maybe err on the side of being gentler with people, being kinder,” Kate said. “It really is true that when you haven’t walked a mile in someone’s shoes — however fancy you think the shoes are — you have absolutely no idea what they might be carrying, masking, dealing with day and night.”
“Someone with PTSD is on their own with it, by definition … so those are the loneliest people,” she continued. “They’re alone with a level of horror that’s incompatible with life and yet, a lot of times those people continue to try and put one foot in front of the other.”
In a second video, Kate pointed that August 30 was National Grief Awareness Day and some people who have PTSD have “seen the worst of mortality and tried to keep going.”
“Maybe don’t always tell a person how strong they are,” she said. “Maybe that person is just crushed under the weight of having been strong for years … and their strength has been misinterpreted as not needing gentleness.”
Kate continued, “There are people who are silently caregiving, watching their loved ones deteriorate in horrifying and frightening ways that they’re not medically qualified to deal with. And they do it on their own. And it can break them, especially when everyone else relies on the trope of saying, ‘Wow you’re so strong.’ The person needs, ‘I’ll be here if you need to fall apart.’ ”
“But most people aren’t capable of providing that safety. So, try to become a person who can provide that safety. You could be the difference for someone,” she concluded.
She has since deleted both videos from her Instagram.
Kate has been very transparent with fans about how she’s been suffering lately following the death of her mom Judy Loe, who passed away in July 2025 after being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. At the time, the Serendipity actress said her mother “died in my arms” and she’s been having a tough time coping with the “shock and trauma.”
Last month, Kate revealed the health condition she has been facing and other recent struggles she has dealt with.
Posted To:Kate Beckinsale
