Kim Cattrall's gravestone drama was one of those news stories that managed to sneak under the radar, that's become the stuff of legend. Unlike legends, however, this tale is entirely true and stranger than fiction could ever allow.
As details of Kim Cattrall's And Just Like That return send ripples of excitement across the globe, many are obsessed with how the iconic actor will reappear. We won't go into details about that now, because this particular jewel in the star's history is what truly cements her status as a Hollywood legend.
Perhaps you've heard a few tidbits about it, but doing a deep dive into Kim Cattrall's gravestone drama uncovers a tale that goes from strange to stranger.
It all came to light on Christmas Day back in 2016 when her gobsmacked cousin Michelle Cox paid a visit to her mother's grave. To Cox's surprise, she found the family plot in the graveyard of Holy Trinity in Wavertree, Liverpool looking decidedly different.
Not only had the original gravestone been replaced with a new granite slab - but two new names had been inscribed on it. The first was Cattrall's father Dennis William Cattrall, who died in 2012, and then the actor's own name. It was what lay beneath her name and date of birth, however, that really left many scratching their heads.
"The Liverpool Cleopatra."
Sorry, the what? That's one hell of a self-appointed title, which initially made absolutely no sense. However, a few shrewd observers pointed out that back in 2010 the megastar made her triumphant return to Liverpool, her hometown from which she emigrated to Canada at only three months old, to star in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra. Playing, you guessed it, Cleopatra.
Allegations were then made that without asking the family's permission, the Sex And The City star replaced the stone with the added inscriptions. This, said Cox, left her feeling as if she'd been 'burgled.'
The cousins, who the Daily Mail reports have never met owing to a disagreement between their parents, then became embroiled in a two-year-long battle in the ecclesiastical courts.
Speaking to the publication, Cox said, "It doesn’t seem right that someone who has spent the majority of her life in Canada and the US can come to Liverpool and reserve a grave simply by putting their name on it."
Cox also alleged that the former canon of the Holy Trinity church was led to believe that Cattrall was the only living member of the family when she requested the change.
In response to the debacle, the Daily Mail reports that Cattrall shut it down by simply saying, "The Cox family are not my family."
Despite initial reports that she'd been ordered to reinstate the original stone by the ecclesiastical courts, Cattrall confirmed to the Liverpool Echo that "The Liverpool Cleopatra" is here to stay.
"My family are very pleased with the Diocese of Liverpool to allow our newly commissioned gravestone to remain in place," she said, "continue to bear the CATTRALL family name and acknowledging my father's right to rest in peace next to his beloved mother and father." Adding, "An honor to bring you home, Dad."
As evidenced by Kim Cattrall's throwback to her first acting gig, just like her self-appointed namesake, she's had one hell of a personal journey. And now, it's set in stone - she'll forever be known as the Cleopatra of Liverpool.
