'All or Nothing': Richard E Grant Brutally 'Edited Out' People From His Life After Wife's 2021 Death

Richard E Grant says he has 'edited out' people from his life for good after they failed to contact him following the death of his wife Joan Washington, revealing a strict 'all or nothing' approach to friendship in the wake of his grief.

The 'Withnail and I' star said some friends avoided him after Washington died in 2021 and that their absence was something he found hard to forgive.

Grant, 69, explained that some friends appeared reluctant to contact him because they did not know how to approach him after his loss. For the actor, however, their absence was difficult to forgive.

Richard E Grant Says Some Friends Are Gone for Good

Grant revealed that there are people he no longer intends to see. He described the decision as effectively closing the door permanently.

'I'm very unequivocal, black and white, all or nothing,' Grant said, explaining his attitude towards relationships.

'There are people that have been edited out of my life, and I will never see them again.'

He added that if he had behaved towards those people in the same way they behaved towards him, he would not be able to look them in the face. His conclusion was: 'No, portcullis down. Goodbye.'

The couple had been married for 35 years and shared one daughter, Olivia, who is now 37. Washington, a dialect coach who worked on numerous film and television productions, died aged 74 after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.

Joan Washington's Death Still Shapes His Grief

Washington's death marked a turning point for Grant, who has frequently spoken publicly about his grief and his life without his wife. The actor has previously described how some friends avoided him because they were uncomfortable discussing Washington's death.

Grant said he did not see their absence as simple awkwardness. Instead, he felt it revealed something important about those relationships at a moment when he needed support. He has also said that he continues to write to Washington every night before going to bed.

When asked about finding companionship again, Grant said the idea remains difficult for him to comprehend, although he recognises that people do eventually move forward after losing a partner.

Grant Has Cut off Friends Before

The actor's decision to sever relationships is not entirely new. Earlier this year, Grant revealed that he had ended a 29-year friendship after accidentally receiving an email containing harsh comments about him. The message had been intended for someone else, but Grant received it because his name appeared in the body of the email.

The revelation came at a difficult moment in his professional life. Grant said he had just learned for the third time that financing for a film he had written and planned to direct had collapsed.

He described the contents of the email as deeply toxic and concluded that the person was no longer a genuine friend. Grant subsequently forwarded the message back to the sender and questioned how a friendship lasting almost three decades could have reached such a point.

His daughter Olivia later challenged him over whether he had perhaps recognised the friend's true feelings long before the email exposed them.

Grant's Support Network After Loss

Despite his willingness to cut people out, Grant has continued to maintain relationships with friends and colleagues.

The actor recently hosted a dinner at his London home, sharing a photograph featuring figures including Christine Baranski, Steve Martin, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter and Martin Short. His daughter Olivia was also pictured at the gathering.

The gathering showed the support network that remains around Grant, even as he acknowledges that some relationships have ended. Grant's comments suggest that grief has changed his understanding of friendship.

For the actor, loyalty during the most difficult periods of life matters, and those who failed to show up after Washington's death have, in his words, been permanently 'edited out' from his story.