Eva Mottley

Eva Mottley
Born Eva Henderson Mottley
(1953-10-24)24 October 1953
Barbados
Died 14 February 1985(1985-02-14) (aged 31)
Maida Vale, West London
Cause of death Barbiturate and alcohol overdose
Occupation Actress
Years active 1983–1984
Relatives Mia Mottley (cousin)

Eva Henderson Mottley (24 October 1953 – 14 February 1985) was a Barbadian-born British actress, best known for her role as Bella O'Reilly in the television drama Widows.

Early life

Mottley was born into a well-known family in Barbados in 1953. Her grandfather, Ernest Motley, was the first mayor of Bridgetown;[1] her uncle, Elliott Motley, and cousin Mia Mottley are both politicians. She was raised in Nigeria and England.

After serving 15 months in prison for possession of LSD, Mottley embarked on an acting career.[2]

Career

Mottley appeared in the drama series Widows, and was scheduled to appear in its sequel. However, shortly before her death in 1985, she left the production of Widows 2 claiming that she had been racially and sexually abused by the production team.[2] Widows 2 was broadcast nearly two months later, with Debby Bishop in the role of Bella. Mottley's film credits included Scrubbers and a small role in Superman III.

She had made other TV appearances, including Bergerac and a memorable guest role on the sitcom Only Fools and Horses, in the episode "Who's a Pretty Boy? as Corinne, the sharp-tongued wife of regular character Denzil. The character was originally set to appear in more episodes, but due to Mottley's death, John Sullivan chose not to recast the role out of respect to Mottley. Her character, Corinne, later separated from Denzil.

Personal life

Mottley had a two-year relationship with musician David Bowie.[3]

Death

In the months leading up to her death, Mottley became depressed about losing her job and developed an addiction to cocaine and alcohol. Her addiction lead to her incur £25,000 of debt. On Valentine's Day 1985, Mottley’s body was found in her Shirland Road flat in Maida Vale, West London. She had committed suicide by overdosing on alcohol and barbiturates. Mottley was 31 years old. She left one suicide note to her parents and another note that was only partially legible.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "The History". barbadosparliment.com. The Barbados Parliament. Retrieved 22 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Frasier, David K. (2005). Suicide in the Entertainment Industry: An Encyclopedia of 840 Twentieth Century Cases. McFarland. p. 234. ISBN 0-786-42333-1.
  3. ↑ "Everything you never knew you wanted to know about Widows". heraldscotlad.com. Hearld Scotland. 3 April 1998. Retrieved 22 December 2017.



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