Kate Beckinsale and Michael Sheen’s Relationship Has Run Its Course, but the Pair Continue to Be Friends, Prank Each Other, and Adore Their Daughter
Kate Beckinsale and Michael Sheen met in 1995. At the time, they were both in a touring production of The Seagull. Soon the couple decided to move in together. A couple of years later, their daughter Lily was born. She was both actors’ first child.
The idyll lasted almost eight years, although Beckinsale did, once, admit to reporters that she was a little bothered by her status as a permanent girlfriend. It turned out that Sheen never once proposed to her.
The stars’ romance ended in early 2003 after they both worked on the movie Underworld. It was then that Kate met director Len Wiseman and fell in love with him. Beckinsale and Sheen eventually decided to part ways, but managed to maintain their warm friendship.
Michael (on the roof of the car) and Kate in the fantasy action film Underworld.
The friendship between Kate and Michael has only grown stronger over the years. In one of her interviews, the actress said: “He’s really dear, close family. He’s somebody I’ve known since I was 21 years old. I really love him a lot.”
Both actors acknowledged that their romantic relationship had run its course and calmly accepted the fact as each of them got a new partner. Sheen had an amicable relationship with Wiseman, and Beckinsale got on well with her ex’s new girlfriend, Sarah Silverman. It was important for them that their daughter Lily grow up in a peaceful environment, surrounded by people who love her.
In addition, the actors are convinced that their shared sense of humor helps them maintain their friendship. They both love joking around and sharing original photos with their followers.
For example, Kate once dressed up her cat Clive in a dinosaur costume. On another occasion, Lily’s parents posted pictures of themselves in, to put it mildly, non-standard “head gear” — Beckinsale had Clive on her head, while Sheen tried on a hat with bunny ears.
The ex-partners have always had fun together. Perhaps their fans still remember the video in which the actors tried on a huge cat costume. Kate was the head and front paws, while Michael wore the back, complete with a tail with a tuft.
“I knew having a giant costume of my own cat would bring me untold joy. I had not anticipated the bonus amusement of getting Michael into it when he didn’t know what it was,” Kate Beckinsale laughed.
Michael and Kate often get together at Christmas or spend time with mutual friends over a festively set table.
At the same time, Beckinsale has fun teasing her ex-partner, who sometimes either turns up in a bunny outfit or acts upset when he’s not the first to get a hug.
And of course, both actors absolutely adore their daughter Lily. The mom often shares photos of her on her Instagram page, from birth to the present day, and posts nostalgic photo compilations for her birthdays. “Happy birthday you magical hilarious beauty creature. I love you so much,” the actress writes.
Kate Beckinsale also posts family photos, showing how mother, father, and daughter have changed over time. But she makes sure to stress that Lily will always be their beloved child, no matter how old she is.
For Lily’s school graduation, Kate specially made a collage: “First first day of school / last first day of school.” And when she got into college, her parents were overjoyed.
“The appropriate fatherly response when you find out your girl got into college: burst into tears, drop everything, rush over and pick up everyone even remotely involved. Lily, we are so unbelievably proud of you. Fly, fly, fly,” Beckinsale wrote in her blog that day.
Lily seems to have inherited her parents’ sense of humor. She can easily support them in their original entertainment. For example, she didn’t refuse to take part in yoga with goats, to which Kate Beckinsale invited Michael Sheen and Lily. This is how the Hollywood star celebrated her 45th birthday.
The father, mother, and daughter took lots of photos in various poses. Kate got a goat to stand on her butt, while Michael and Lily got pictures with the horned animal on their backs. Beckinsale ended up dubbing this the best birthday of her life.
Since she was a child, Lily has been appearing with her parents on the red carpet and at celebrity parties.
In 2009, Michael took his daughter with him to the premiere of The Twilight Saga: New Moon, another instalment of the famous saga in which he played the vampire Aro. The girl also accompanied her father to the Order of the British Empire award ceremony, which he received from Queen Elizabeth II.
Lily is now 23 years old. She’s decided to follow in her parents’ footsteps and pursue an acting career. She had previously, with her mother, appeared in the films Underworld: Evolution and Click. But those were only cameo roles.
But in 2022, Lily starred alongside Nicolas Cage in the comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, where she played the main character’s daughter.
After filming, Lily gave an interview in which she thanked her parents for supporting her in all her endeavors. Although, according to the young actress, her mother probably would have preferred her to choose a more “down-to-earth” profession, such as becoming a surgeon.
“My parents are great about pushing me out and letting me fly and become the person that I want to be,” Lily said. She added that a warm family environment played a big role in her life, even if her parents were no longer a couple and left their romantic relationship in the past.
Are you friends with your exes? What shared interests unite you?