Sad New Details About Liam Neeson's Nephew's Tragic Death
He was only 35.
esquire Actor Liam Neeson’s nephew reportedly passed away in January 2019, surrounded by family in Northern Ireland.
Ronan Sexton, 35, was the youngest of six children. His mother, Bernadette Sexton, is one of Neeson’s three sisters. Neeson, who lives in the United States, reportedly flies to the United Kingdom often to visit his family.
In 2014, Sexton reportedly sustained major head injuries after falling 20 feet to the ground from a phone box. He was out with his friends in Brighton, a beach town about an hour’s train ride south from London. The incident took place at night next to Brighton Pier.
Ronan, who was 31 at the time, climbed on top of the phone box but lost his balance and fell from the platform.
The Belfast Telegraph reported that he “never fully recovered” from his fall. According to the Daily Mail, Sexton could not walk or talk following the accident.
His family released a statement just after the fall, thanking fans for their “love, support, prayers and good wishes for Ronan.” They said he was “receiving wonderful treatment from the dedicated staff” at the hospital.
Sexton was then transferred to a neurological center, followed by a facility near his mother in Worthing, West Sussex. He came with his mother later when she moved to the village of Cushendall in County Antrim to be closer to her family.
He was being looked after in a care home there, though the Daily Mail reported Bernadette was finishing a specially-modified house for her and her son to live in just before his passing.
Prior to his tragic accident, Sexton was an aspiring musician hoping to enter the music industry. He paid homage to Bo Diddley, an American musician who contributed to the transition from blues to rock and roll, by calling himself “Ro Diddley” on Facebook. He had changed his profile picture to a shot of him with his guitar.
A close family friend told the Daily Mail that Ronan had passed away in his sleep over the weekend. Sexton was then cremated in Belfast.
Neeson and his sister have experienced tragic deaths before. In 2009, Neeson lost his wife of 15 years, actress Natasha Richardson. She died from a severe head injury sustained in an accident while skiing at Mont Tremblant Resort in Quebec. The Oscar-nominated actor spoke to RTE about her death in April 2017.
“It hits you, it’s like a wave,” he said of his struggle processing his loss over the years. “You just get this profound feeling of instability … The Earth isn’t stable anymore and then it passes and it becomes more infrequent, but I still get it sometimes.
“[Her death] was never real. It still kind of isn’t. There are periods now in our New York residence when I hear the door opening … Any time I hear that door opening, I still think I’m going to hear her.”
Neeson and Richardson had two sons together, Micheál and Daniel.
Brian Sexton, Ronan’s father, passed away in 2005. His death was sudden. Bernadette’s partner Harry Shannon passed away two years ago.
The Belfast Telegraph reported that parish priest Fr Luke McWilliams said the family asks for privacy while they mourn the loss of Ronan.
Alison Cerri is an editorial intern at YourTango. When she's not writing, she can be found on a run or at rugby practice. Follow her on Instagram.