James McAvoy Shows Support for Ex-Wife Following Tragic Loss
James McAvoy has shown deep emotional support for his ex-wife, Anne-Marie Duff, following the tragic passing of her brother, Eddie. The Bad Sisters actress, 55, shared the heartbreaking news that her beloved sibling died earlier this year, in his mid-50s, after a long and difficult battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Eddie’s death has inspired Anne-Marie to take action, as she now aims to raise awareness about the condition and fundraise for the Alzheimer’s Society in his memory. In a heartfelt gesture, McAvoy, who was married to Anne-Marie from 2006 to 2016, reposted her announcement on social media to help spread the message and garner more support.
Anne-Marie recently shared a photo on Instagram of herself with her younger brother, accompanied by a touching caption. She explained that she will be walking 26 miles around central London next month as part of this year’s Trek26 event, which supports the Alzheimer’s Society.
“I am doing this in honour of my big brother Eddie who passed away earlier this year,” she wrote. “He was diagnosed with very early onset dementia in his forties.”
In her tribute, she continued: “For those who knew him, he was the life and soul of every party, funny, kind and an extraordinarily loyal friend. He gave me any ounce of cool that I may have—forcing me to swap pop music for Bowie, The Velvet Underground, Joy Division, The Beatles… I will miss his cheeky smile and all of those gorgeous giggles. Mostly the dancing.”
Anne-Marie, who won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Apple TV’s hit comedy Bad Sisters, added: “I would be so grateful if you felt able to support me through the linked justgiving page. Not just for Eddie, but all the people you love living with dementia.”
Her JustGiving page, which she set up only five days ago, has already received an overwhelming response, raising over £5,600 in donations. This includes generous contributions from her famous friends, such as James Corden, 47, who donated £1,000, and fellow actor David Morrissey, 62, who contributed £200.
The Sherwood star worked alongside Anne-Marie in two films—the 2009 John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, in which she played Lennon’s mother Julia Stanley, and the 2008 film Is Anybody There?.
Tamzin Outhwaite, 55, commented on Anne-Marie’s donations page: “Sending much love to AMD and the whole family.” The former EastEnders star was introduced to her ex-husband Tom Ellis by James McAvoy.
Anne-Marie and James’s relationship began on the set of Channel 4’s gritty drama Shameless in 2004, where they played on-screen lovers Fiona Gallagher and Steve McBride. The couple married in a quiet ceremony in November 2006, keeping their personal lives largely out of the spotlight.
They have a son, Brendan, 16, who was named after Anne-Marie’s father—a painter and decorator from County Meath, Ireland, who moved to Britain with his wife Mary.
The couple announced their separation in May 2016, releasing a joint statement that read: “It is with tremendous sadness that we have come to the decision to divorce. We enter this next phase with continued friendship, love and respect for one another and the shared focus of caring for our son.”
Even after their split, both actors maintained their commitment to privacy and mutual respect. James later told Mr Porter magazine: “Me and Anne-Marie, when we were together, it was our policy not to speak about each other in public. We rarely broke that and if we did, it was for tiny things—’Yes, we are cooking turkey this Christmas’—and that policy still stands. Even separated, we’re still respectful of each other and committed to doing that publicly and personally.”
To minimize disruption to Brendan’s life, the former couple initially continued to share their North London home before James eventually moved to his own place nearby in Crouch End.
The Scottish actor went on to marry Lisa Liberati, whom he met while filming Split in 2017, when she was working as a personal assistant to director M. Night Shyamalan. The couple tied the knot in 2022 and welcomed a son together in 2020, followed by a second child—whose sex he has not disclosed—in 2022.
