Entertainment

All About Joely, Carlo and Natasha

Vanessa Redgrave is part of a British acting dynasty that spans more than five generations — and includes her three children, Joely Richardson, Carlo Gabriel Nero and the late Natasha Richardson.

The daughter of British actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, Redgrave’s acting roots can be traced back to the 1800s, when her grandparents performed in silent films and in the theater.

The next generation of family talent arrived when Redgrave had three children of her own. The award-winning actress had two daughters with her first husband, the late British filmmaker Tony Richardson: Natasha Richardson, born in 1963, and Joely Richardson, born in 1965.

Following her split with Richardson, Redgrave welcomed a son, named Carlo Gabriel Nero, in 1969 with Italian actor Franco Nero. All three of Redgrave’s children continued the family’s legacy in the entertainment world, with Natasha and Joely pursuing acting and Carlo working as a writer, producer and director.

And while Redgrave has experienced years of success onstage and on-screen, her most treasured role is that of being a mom.

“Even if you’ve got a job you love and a husband you adore, once you have children that’s what you live for,” she told The Standard in 2015.

Here is everything to know about Vanessa Redgrave’s three children, Joely Richardson, Carlo Gabriel Nero and the late Natasha Richardson.

Natasha Jane Richardson

Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter Nathasha Richardson pose during a photocall of movie “The White Countess” directed by US director James Ivory.

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Redgrave and Richardson welcomed their first child, Natasha, on May 11, 1963, in London.

The daughter of an actress and a director, Natasha began performing from a young age: She made her first movie appearance as an extra at the age of 4 in a film directed by her father and starring her mother, 1968’s The Charge of the Light Brigade, according to The New York Times.

It would not be the last time Natasha worked with her parents. At 22 years old, she appeared alongside her mother in the 1985 London production of The Seagull. Natasha revealed that working with her mother was “a dream come true,” but also intimidated her.

“She rehearsed like a tornado,” Natasha told The New York Times Magazine in 1993. “I was terrified of being on stage with her.”

In the early 1990s, Natasha moved to New York to continue her acting career and build a reputation of her own, outside of her family’s acting history. Over the next 15 years, her success spanned from the stage to the small and big screen. Some of her most famous roles came on Broadway — where she won a Tony Award for her 1998 performance in Cabaret — and on the silver screen, including her fan-favorite performance in the 1998 Disney remake of The Parent Trap, opposite Dennis Quaid and Lindsay Lohan.

“It just didn’t matter how much work I did in England, I continued to be seen simply as a Redgrave,” she told The Guardian in 2003. “I did feel I could be who I am in New York and we all like to feel appreciated.”

Actress Natasha Richardson and actress, mother Vanessa Redgrave attend the opening of playwright Richard Nelson’s “Madame Melville” May 3, 2001 at the Promande Theatre in New York City.

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In her personal life, Natasha was married twice: First, to British producer Robert Fox from 1990 to 1992, and then to actor Liam Neeson, whom she met in 1992 while they performed together in the Broadway revival of Anna Christie. The couple married in 1994 and had two sons together, Michéal Richardson and Daniel Neeson.

However, their love story was tragically cut short when Natasha died on March 18, 2009, following a ski accident on Quebec’s Mont Tremblant. She was 45 years old.

Natasha’s untimely death devastated her family, including Neeson, her children and her mother, who opened up to PEOPLE in 2019 about the heartbreaking loss.

“Time does not heal; that would seem to me to say that suddenly it’s okay, and it’s not,” Redgrave told PEOPLE a decade after her daughter’s passing. “It never becomes OK.”

Joely Kim Richardson, 60

Vanessa Redgrave and her daughter Joely Richardson attend the Roksanda show during London Fashion Week September 2023 at on September 16, 2023 in London, England.

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Redgrave and Richardson welcomed a second daughter, Joely Kim, on Jan. 9, 1965. As a teen, she had ambitions to become a professional tennis player — even moving from London to Tampa, Fla., to train — but eventually gave up the sport to pursue acting.

As an actress, Joely’s early successes came primarily on-screen: She nabbed her first major film role in 1988’s Drowning by Numbers and earned critical praise for her starring role in the 1993 television adaptation of Lady Chatterley. But Joely is best known for her roles on the FX hit television show Nip/Tuck, where she starred as Julia MacNamara from 2003 to 2010 (and Redgrave made guest appearances as her mother), and the Showtime period drama The Tudors.

Redgrave and Joely appeared in four films together, as well: In 1968, Joely appeared as an extra alongside her mother and sister in The Charge of the Light Brigade; Joely then played the younger versions of her mother’s characters in 1985’s Wetherby and 2011’s Anonymous. The two reunited on-screen once again in 2018’s The Aspern Papers.

Given her family’s legendary history with theater, Joely also embraced stage roles later in her career, performing in London and off-Broadway in New York.

“People would say, ‘Oh, you’re from this big theatrical dynasty,’ and I’d think, ‘Well, I’m doing an American TV show.’ I felt like a phoney,” she told The Telegraph in 2015. “I thought, I have to earn my stripes and I’ll do it slowly, and that’s sort of what I’ve done.”

Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson attend the Roksanda show during London Fashion Week February 2020 at The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office on February 16, 2020 in London, England.

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Joely married film producer Tim Bevan in 1992; the couple had one daughter, Daisy, the same year. Bevan and Joely split in 1997 and divorced in 2001, which Joely described as “a pretty low time” to The Guardian. However, it was the death of her older sister, Natasha, that left her forever changed, as she revealed to Tatler in 2009.

“The shock shatters you on a cellular level, and it takes time for the pieces to come back together, albeit in a different formation,” she said about Natasha’s tragic death. “I cannot imagine that there will ever be a day when I don’t think of Tasha.”

The loss of her sister gave Joely a new appreciation for life and for family, including her mother, who suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 2015.

“Try to find the joy in life because we are so lucky to be here,” Joely told PEOPLE in 2019. “Every day, every birthday that goes by, I’m just so grateful.”

Carlo Gabriel Nero, 55

Vanessa Redgrave poses with son Carlo Gabriel Nero at a special screening of their film “Sea Sorrow” at the BFI Southbank on October 30, 2017 in London, England.

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Redgrave and director Nero welcomed a son named Carlo Gabriel on Sept. 16, 1969. The former couple reunited more than three decades later, rekindling their romance and marrying on Dec. 31, 2006.

During his childhood, though, Carlo split his time between his mother in London and his father in Italy.

“Seeing us unhappy made Carlo unhappy,” Redgrave told The Times in 2016. “I hated that. I didn’t want us to fight over his future, so we did our best to share the time with him. He had his life with his father and his life with me.”

Despite their best efforts, Carlo found some elements of his childhood “difficult” — particularly shuffling between two homes in two different countries.

“That left me with a bit of a dual personality, constantly adapting to whichever country I was in,” Carlo told The Times. “I’m sure it affected my sense of security. I never grasped that idea of ‘home.’ ”

Vanessa Redgrave and Carlo Gabriel Nero attend a photocall during the 12th Rome Film Fest at Auditorium Parco Della Musica on November 2, 2017 in Rome, Italy.

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While his mother and sisters preferred acting, Carlo has made his career behind the camera. After attending film school in Italy and at NYU, Carlo has worked as a writer, producer and director — even directing his mother and sister Joely in the 2004 psychological drama The Fever.

Carlo and his mother teamed up once again to form a small film company together, Dissent Projects, that produces documentaries, including 2017’s Sea Sorrow.

“It’s no surprise that Carlo has ended up in the film business; he just happens to prefer being on the other side of the camera,” Redgrave told The Times about her only son. “I’m not sure if he’s learnt anything from me, but I’ve certainly learnt things from him. Yes, he’s my son, but he’s also a great director who’s earned respect through hard graft.”

Outside of his filmmaking career, Carlo is married to actress Jennifer Wiltsie. They share three children together.

Entertainment

Norman Reedus’ son makes alarming threat after arrest for assault

Norman Reedus and supermodel Helena Christensen’s troubled son, Mingus Reedus, asked a startling question one day after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend.

The 25-year-old model was walking outside of his apartment in New York City on Sunday when he asked The Post, “You want to watch me kill myself?”

Mingus was wearing the same green shorts and black T-shirt he wore to court a day earlier, and he carried his cat in a bag.

He also took a shot at a reporter for The Post Saturday as he exited the courtroom, calling her “ugly.”

Mingus was taken into custody on Saturday for alleged domestic violence after officers responded to a call at a Manhattan address about a female who had taken pills and was threatening to commit suicide.

A police source told The Post that Mingus allegedly punched a female victim in the leg, causing redness, and then choked her and slammed her to the ground. He was formally charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and third-degree assault.

He was later arraigned on new charges Saturday night in Manhattan Criminal Court, including reckless physical injury, aggravated harassment and second-degree harassment.

Prosecutors allege that he choked his 33-year-old girlfriend with such force that he lifted her off the ground inside their apartment.

He has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Mingus’ attorney, Priya Chaudhry — who previously represented Jonathan Majors in his assault case — said her client was “concerned” for his girlfriend, according to The Post. She claimed Mingus ended the couple’s roughly five-month relationship, which allegedly caused the victim to become distressed and take “a number of sleeping pills” in an attempt to commit suicide.

According to Chaudhry, the victim has since moved out of their shared home, is “not afraid” of Mingus and has no interest in proceeding with the case or pressing charges.

Mingus has since been ordered to stay away from the victim.

Reedus and Christensen, both 56, split when Mingus was 4 years old, but have had a friendly co-parenting relationship. The former Victoria’s Secret model shared a happy picture of them together in 2018, celebrating Mingus’ high school graduation.

The “Walking Dead” actor has been engaged to actress Diane Kruger since 2021. They welcomed their daughter, Nova Tennessee, in 2018.

Entertainment

Where Is Paula Deen Now? Inside the Celebrity Chef’s Life After Food Network

NEED TO KNOW

It has been over a decade since Paula Deen’s Food Network show came to an end in 2013
The “Queen of Southern Cuisine” has released more cookbooks and recipes since then
In July 2025, Deen announced the abrupt closure of two of her restaurants, including her flagship eatery, The Lady & Sons

Paula Deen‘s career has had moments of success and controversy.

For more than a decade in the early 2000s, the Georgia native was a staple on television, starring in her own cooking shows, releasing cookbooks and establishing restaurants. But in June 2013, Food Network dropped Dean after she admitted to using a racial slur in the workplace in a sworn deposition, according to The New York Times.

Since then, Deen has largely stayed out of the spotlight. More recently, though, Deen made headlines again when she announced the abrupt closure of two of her restaurants on Aug. 1.

“Hey, y’all, my sons and I made the heartfelt decision that Thursday, July 31st, was the last day of service for The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box,” she wrote in a statement posted on her Facebook and official website. “Thank you for all the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years.”

That same month, on Aug. 20, Deen gave Fox & Friends’ Steve Doocy a tour of her home in Savannah, Ga.

So what happened to Paula Deen? Here’s everything to know about her culinary career and what she’s doing today, years after parting ways with Food Network.

She started her professional culinary career in 1989

Paula Deen stands in front of her restaurant ‘The Bag Lady Express Buffet’ in 1989.

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In June 1989, Deen started a catering company from her kitchen. She opened The Bag Lady catering company with her “last $200,” according to a June 2025 Facebook post. Deen helped get her business off the ground with the help of her sons, Jamie and Bobby, who would deliver her homemade Southern food to workers in Savannah.

Two years later, in 1991, she opened a buffet restaurant, The Lady, in the lobby of a Best Western Hotel, the Chicago Tribune reported. Deen dedicated herself to the location — alongside her kids and her husband, Michael — until her next venture put her on the map.

In January 1996, the chef launched The Lady & Sons in downtown Savannah, eventually becoming a popular establishment and leading to TV superstardom.

She landed her first show on the Food Network in 2002

Paula Deen.

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Deen released her first cookbook, The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, in April 1998.

According to her official website, Deen then made her television debut on QVC, and in 2002, she starred in her own Food Network show, Paula’s Home Cooking. The cooking TV program ran for 10 years, ending in 2012.

In addition to Paula’s Home Cooking, she starred in Paula’s Party and Paula’s Best Dishes, both of which aired on the Food Network.

She left TV in 2013 after admitting to using racist language in the past

Paula Deen on the ‘Today’ show.

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Paula’s Home Cooking was a staple on the Food Network for a decade, but the channel cut ties with her amid controversy.

In 2012, Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, were sued by former employee Lisa Jackson for $1.2 million, per CBS News. Lisa previously worked at Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House, an establishment co-owned by Deen and run by Hiers. According to the ex-employee, during her five years as a manager, she experienced sexual harassment and racial discrimination.

The following year, in May 2013, Deen admitted during a deposition that she used a racial slur on a few occasions in the past, CBS News reported. Shortly after, the Food Network announced that it wouldn’t renew the celebrity chef’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of June. In addition, retailers like Walmart and Target stated they would no longer sell Deen’s products and a book deal was scrapped.

As the fallout continued, Deen was scheduled to do a sit-down interview on the Today show, but was a no-show, per CBS News. Instead, she released two apology videos online.

“I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I’ve done,” she said in one of the clips, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I want to learn and grow from this. … Inappropriate hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. But I beg you, my children, my team, my fans, my partners, I beg for your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the mistakes that I’ve made.”

Following the Food Network’s decision not to renew her contract, Deen released a statement to PEOPLE.

“I have had the pleasure of being allowed into so many homes across the country and meeting people who have shared with me the most touching and personal stories,” it read. “This would not have been possible without the Food Network. Thank you again. Love and best dishes to all of ya’ll.”

In August 2013, a settlement was reached, though its details weren’t made public, according to ABC News.

She went on to compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2015

Paula Deen on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ season 21.

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While Deen’s tenure on the Food Network was over, her time on television was not.

In June 2014, she embarked on a live tour called Paula Deen Live!, which consisted of 20 shows across the U.S., per the Las Vegas Sun News. Each stop was set to feature a 90-minute session with the celebrity chef who advertised cooking demos, interactive audience games and personal stories.

The following year, Deen competed on season 21 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered in September 2015.

“Let me tell you—I’m excited and nervous,” she wrote on her website, about appearing on the competition series. “There’s just a whole array of emotions that could overwhelm a person. After all, I’m 68 and startin’ on this physically demanding show.”

In October 2015, Deen was eliminated during the sixth week of the season, but she stayed busy. Earlier that same year, she launched a mobile game and a line of dog food. Deen later released several other products as part of an online shop, including seasonings and jewelry.

She is still releasing cookbooks and sharing recipes online

Paula Deen attends a book signing event for ‘At The Southern Table’ at Barnes & Noble on October 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

Tara Ziemba/Getty

In the years since she said goodbye to her Food Network audience, Deen has continued to release cookbooks, her most recent being 2023’s Love and Best Dishes. Her magazine, Cooking with Paula Deen, is still being published today as well; its first issue hit newsstands in 2005.

As for television, Deen debuted her show, Positively Paula, in 2016. It aired for two seasons and a total of 26 episodes. In June 2020, she launched her YouTube channel, where she posts new videos daily to nearly 600,000 subscribers.

She announced the closure of two restaurants in August 2025

The Lady and Sons restaurant; Paula Deen.

James Quine/Alamy Stock Photo; Mediapunch/Shutterstock

On Aug. 1, Deen announced the abrupt closing of two of her eateries, The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box.

“We have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through our doors,” she wrote in a statement posted online. “We are equally grateful to our incredible staff — past and present — whose hard work, care, and hospitality made The Lady & Sons what it was. Savannah will always be our home, and we’ll always be here to support our wonderful community.”

The letter ended with Deen and her sons saying they “will now focus” their attention on the four remaining locations of Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Nashville, Tenn. and Branson, Mo.

“We’re excited to continue visiting these restaurants regularly, starting with Branson on August 8th,” the statement concluded. A reason for the closing of The Chicken Box and The Lady & Sons was not given.

Deen will appear in the documentary Canceled: The Paula Deen Story, which will revisit the fallout of her career in 2013. The project will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6.

Entertainment

Sydney Sweeney’s ‘Americana’ co-star Halsey slams fans who boycotted film over ‘denim bulls–t’

Sydney Sweeney’s “Americana” co-star Halsey slammed fans who are boycotting their film due to the former’s American Eagle controversy.

“you should go see this movie. because [director] @tonytost made an exceptional film, in honor of a genre he knows intimately,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories alongside a promo poster of the crime thriller.

“Because his work and his vision are greater than the 24 hr gossip tabloid denim bulls–t,” the “Without Me” singer, 30, added.

“If you love cinema, then you should know that cinema comes first. This is cinema,” she concluded.

Halsey, born Ashley Frangipane, then said she doesn’t think it’s “fair” for the media to “predatorily rip a hardworking director and his hardworking crew for their film that is completely separate-from and unrelated-to a (pretty dumb) advertising take.”

The “Walls Could Talk” singer’s comments come after “Americana” flopped during its nationwide debut last weekend.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film garnered around $840,000, a per-theater average of $460, after debuting in 1,100 theaters across the country.

The movie came in 16th place.

Several fans vowed to boycott the film after Sweeney, 27, was accused of promoting “Nazi propaganda” by using a play on the words “genes” and “jeans” in her American Eagle ad.

Amid the backlash, the clothing company released a statement, saying, “We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”

The “Euphoria” actress recently dodged questions about the ad drama.

Additionally, Sweeney faced backlash from fans after public voter records revealed that she has been registered with the Republican Party of Florida in Monroe County since June 2024.