Kate Beckinsale deletes Instagram posts after sharing cryptic farewell messages

Sunday posts and account wipe

On Sunday morning, 20 September 2026, actor Kate Beckinsale published two cryptic messages to her Instagram account before deleting every post from her profile. Her feed showed a black screen with the single word "bye" written in white lettering, with comment capabilities disabled. At the same time, Beckinsale shared an Instagram Story featuring a photo of a rainbow over a street accompanied by the caption, "Congratulations you won. I give up." The 53-year-old British actor, known for roles in films such as "Underworld," "Pearl Harbor," and "Serendipity," subsequently removed both posts, leaving her profile empty for her more than 5 million followers. In place of personal information, her account biography was updated to contain a direct link to a 2020 BBC article covering the suicide of British television host Caroline Flack and online harassment. Media representatives for Beckinsale did not immediately return requests for comment submitted by Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and TMZ.

History of harassment and personal loss

Following the Sunday posts, fans on X circulated screenshots of the deleted material and expressed worry regarding her safety. This event marks a continuation of online distress and account purges throughout 2026. In February 2026, Beckinsale similarly deleted all posts from her Instagram account, leaving only a message that read "You won." In August 2026, she cleared her profile once more and shared dozens of screenshots of negative user remarks focused on her physical appearance. Multiple commenters had accused her of relying on weight-loss injections such as Ozempic, while others urged her to eat. In an entry on 8 August 2026, Beckinsale wrote that weight loss was among the first physical signs of grief after a parent's passing, concluding that she felt people were broken.

Previous statements on health and grief

Beckinsale has spoken openly about personal bereavement and medical challenges over the past two years. Her mother, Judy Loe, died in July 2025 following a battle with stage IV cancer. A year before Loe's death, Beckinsale disclosed that she received a diagnosis of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). Earlier in September 2026, Beckinsale posted a video discussing post-traumatic stress disorder, describing how people who experience terror and violence live with invisible burdens that are not recognized.

“Given the fact that it's invisible and you can't know, maybe err on being on the gentler side with people, being kinder with people. It really is true that if you haven't walked a mile in someone's shoes -- however fancy you feel the shoes are -- you have absolutely no idea what they may be carrying or masking or dealing with day and night.”

Beckinsale, who shares a 27-year-old daughter with actor Michael Sheen, noted in the recording that individuals enduring trauma relive distressing images whenever they close their eyes. Her Sunday actions and the link to the Caroline Flack coverage have focused public attention on the ongoing impact of online scrutiny.