Natasha Richardson Update

People Magazine is confirming that Natasha Richardson is brain dead.

“There is no chance,” a family friend told People on Tuesday night. “It is a fact that her heart is beating but she is brain dead.”

The Ambulance Ride

Natasha Richardson was “unconscious,” her pupils “non-reactive,” her skin was “pale” and she was suffering from “major head trauma,” while in the ambulance reports TMZ. The crime site is also reporting that husband Liam Neeson held her hand the entire time and caressed her face as he sat in silence.

At the Hospital

Natasha Richardson had “been on life support since this morning,” a source close to the family told the New York Daily News.

Family Gathers

The family of Natasha Richardson gathered at Lenox Hill Hospital last night to say goodbye to the British star, reports the New York Post.

Natasha Richardson’s actress mom, Vanessa Redgrave, clad in a gray scarf, looked dazed and grim as she walked into Lenox Hill Hospital. A few hours later, 45-year-old Natasha Richardson’s TV-star sister, Joely Richardson, appeared on the verge of tears when she arrived.

Her family is expected to release a statement today.

Natasha Richardson Update: Conflicting Reports

The status of actress Natasha Richardson after her skiing accident remains unclear, as various news agencies are reporting vastly differing items. The New York Post claims she is "brain dead," TMZ claims she is not.

The Post's report asserts that the actress, who is married to actor Liam Neeson, is being flown back to New York so her family can say goodbye before she's taken off of life support. TMZ claims that's bunk, that she is suffering from brain swelling but is not 'brain dead.' We like their version better.

As for that whole Time Out New York fiasco where they declared her dead, the ever sane and reasonable Perez Hilton is roaring mad at the publication. Because he's a paragon of journalistic ethics.

Natasha Richardson Update Video

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Today show ran this piece this morning, giving an update on Natasha Richardson’s condition as of March 18. In the video, Natalie Morales says no official statement has yet been released about Natasha Richardson, but her family is now by her side.

A doctor in the piece explains how even the minor injury Natasha Richardson suffered during skiing could lead to brain damage.

BangTot

Wednesday, March 18, 2009