AFP - Actress Natasha Richardson has died, a spokesman said Wednesday, two days after the daughter of British theater icon Vanessa Redgrave apparently suffered brain damage in what was initially dismissed as a minor ski accident.
   
Richardson, married to Irish actor Liam Neeson, died in New York, where she had been flown after the accident in Canada. She was 45.
   
"Liam Neeson, his sons, and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha," said a statement from spokesman Alan Nierob in Los Angeles.
   
"They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."
   
The actress became gravely ill shortly after a tumble on a beginner's slope at the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada.
   
In the hours after she was injured, Neeson, 56, rushed to her side and flew her on a private jet to New York, where tabloids reported the star was "brain-dead."
   
Redgrave, a film and theater star, was seen arriving overnight at the Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, as were Natasha's sister Joely Richardson and her two sons.
   
On Wednesday, Hollywood screen legend Lauren Bacall was among those paying a visit.
   
Richardson's tragic ending apparently was triggered by what was initially dismissed as a harmless fall during the ski lesson, the Canadian resort said.
   
"She did not show any visible sign of injury," the resort said.
   
But as a precaution, the local ski patrol and her instructor accompanied her back to her hotel and "insisted she should see a doctor."
   
An hour later, Richardson "was not feeling good" and an ambulance was called to take her to the Centre Hospitalier Laurentien in Ste-Agathe, Quebec. She was later transferred to Sacre-Coeur hospital in Montreal, the resort said.
   
Even a blow to the head that leaves no visible injury can sometimes cause brain damage, for example swelling or blood clots.
   
Neeson, married to Richardson since 1994, flew to be with his wife following the accident from a movie set in Toronto, a publicist for the film "Chloe" told local media.
   
In 1998, Richardson won a Tony award for her role in the musical "Cabaret," and she has appeared in films "The Parent Trap," "Maid in Manhattan" and "Evening."
   
Other movie credits include "The Handmaid's Tale," "Gothic," "A Month in the Country," and "Nell" in which she appeared with Neeson, whose most celebrated screen turn was in the movie "Schindler's List."
   
Born in May 1963, Richardson was educated in London and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in the city, which has groomed a host of British actors.
   
Her extensive stage experience includes a number of Shakespearean roles, among them Ophelia in "Hamlet" and Helena in "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
   
The Redgrave clan is one of Britain's most famous stage and screen dynasties.
   
Vanessa, Corin and their sister Lynn are the children of Rachel Kempson and Michael Redgrave, who played in such British classics as the 1938 "The Lady Vanishes" and 1969 "Goodbye, Mr Chips."
   
Natasha Richardson's sister Joely is also an actress, who is currently starring in the television drama Nip/Tuck.